Historic vases smashed in stumble

BBC ^ | 1/30/06 | Anon.

[untenured]

A stumbling visitor to a top museum has destroyed a set of priceless vases which stood on a shelf for 40 years. The 300-year-old Qing vases were among the best known artefacts at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

The visitor is said to have slipped on a loose shoelace and fallen down a staircase bringing the vases crashing down as he tried to steady himself.

The vases, donated in 1948, were said to hold a "significant value" and were among the best known pieces on display.

The museum declined to identify the man who had tripped.

The accident happened last Wednesday and the museum said it was a most unfortunate and regrettable accident.

Margaret Greeves, the museum's assistant director, said: "They are in very, very small pieces, but we are determined to put them back together."

Visitor unharmed

A spokesman for the museum said: "An accident at lunchtime on Wednesday 25 January involving a member of the public resulted in damage to three oriental porcelain vases which had been displayed for many years on a staircase window sill.

"An ambulance was called but the visitor left the Museum on foot having been seen by paramedics and staff first-aiders.

"The damaged porcelain ornamental vases are Chinese, Qing Dynasty, reign of Kangxi (1662-1722), late 17th or early 18th century, painted in enamels in the famille verte palette with traces of gilding."

Duncan Robinson, director of the museum, said: "It was a most unfortunate and regrettable accident but we are glad that the visitor involved was able to leave the Museum unharmed.

"Conservators are evaluating the damage prior to repair work being considered. Whilst the method of displaying objects is always under review, it is important not to over-react and make the Museum's collections less accessible to the visiting public."

Fitzwilliam Museum will repair these vases after they were smashed

[ccwoman]

OOHHH Mom knows who broke her stuff thats why she has "accidentally" thrown out our baseball cards, comic books, vintage barbies, etc lol

Ever been watching antique roadshow and thought, "Hey I had that card, I bet Mom still has it in the attic" you then call Mom and she says with a slight laugh to her voice, "Oh those cards, I sold them at a garage sale I think I got 25 cents a piece". She didn't just sell them, she was getting even!!

[knittnmom]

Guess I"m lucky - my folks just brought my stuff to me every time they visited. Even after they sold the last house I lived in with them, the new owners would give them stuff they found in the attic - "here are some more of S----'s books!" Maybe I should go on that antique road show and see if any of my stuff is worth anything!

[Welsh Rabbit]

Chances are, she already knows that someone broke it, has her suspicions as to whom, and is waiting for the perpetrator to 'fess up.

I doubt it. It was a clean break and glued back together seamlessly, looking just like one of the many cracks on the china's surface that was supposed to be there. Besides, I'm an only child; if she suspected I'd would have heard about it by now.

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

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