Prized Chinese Artifact Stolen
- Share via
PHILADELPHIA — A 55-pound crystal ball believed to have been made for the empress dowager of China and a 2,000-year-old bronze statuette of the Egyptian god Osiris were stolen from the University Museum overnight.
The artifacts, displayed in locked cases, were discovered missing this morning by a guard, said Laurie Fenlason, museum spokeswoman. The crystal ball has been the central artifact on exhibit in the museum rotunda. It was insured for $100,000. The ball is 10 inches in diameter and is made of rock crystal. It dates from the late 19th Century. The 10-inch statuette, valued at $15,000, dates to the Ptolemaic era.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
