More than 600 British Empire-era artefacts stolen from Bristol Museum

The items were stolen from a museum storage facility in the early hours of September 25, but Avon and Somerset Police only issued a public appeal this week, releasing CCTV images of four men seen in the area at the time.

Bristol City Council confirmed the missing artefacts include medals, badges, and pins, jewellery and carved ivory and silverware, bronze figures, and geological samples.

Philip Walker, head of culture and creative industries at the council, said the collection reflects more than two centuries of Britain’s connections with countries under its empire, providing invaluable historical insight.

Detective Constable Dan Burgan, leading the investigation, called the theft “a significant loss for the city.” He urged the public to help identify those responsible, noting that many of the stolen items were donations.

Bristol’s history is closely tied to the transatlantic slave trade, with ships from the city transporting at least half a million Africans into slavery before the trade was abolished in 1807. Profits from that system financed much of Bristol’s Georgian architecture.

The museum’s broader collection includes artefacts from Pacific islands, historic clothing from African nations, and archives of photographs, film, and personal papers. According to its website, these materials offer “insights into diverse lives and landscapes during a challenging and controversial period of history.”

It was earlier reported, two armed men stole eight Matisse engravings and at least five Portinari works from São Paulo’s Biblioteca Mário de Andrade, triggering a major police investigation.