One of the stolen snuff boxes, exhibited at the Cognacq-Jay Museum during the exhibition “Pocket luxury. Precious little objects from the Age of Enlightenment.”, loan from the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert collection. © Fabrice Gaboriau
Sometimes miracles happen, like the one that just happened at the Cognacq-Jay Museum (3rd arrondissement), in the Marais. A little less than a year after the violent robbery that allowed four criminals to steal jewels valued at €1 million, most of them have been recovered. This should help cheer Parisians up a bit after the Louvre burglary, where the damage is estimated at €88 million.
The snuff boxes displayed under glass during the exhibition “Pocket luxury. Precious little objects from the Age of Enlightenment.”, © Fabrice Gaboriau
On the morning of November 20, 2024, at 10:25 a.m., four hooded men armed with baseball bats and axes burst into this museum run by the City of Paris while visitors and officials were present. The criminals smashed display cases and stole seven precious objects, jeweled snuff boxes, before fleeing on a scooter. The stolen artifacts were on display as part of the "Pocket Luxury" exhibition, which featured small, sophisticated objects from the Age of Enlightenment, often made of gold and richly decorated with precious stones, mother-of-pearl, or enamel, including several major loans. The museum had to close the exhibition prematurely.
Royal Factory, table snuffbox, Berlin, between 1770 and 1775. London, Royal Collection Trust (RCIN 9044). Press service photo. © The Royal Collection/HM King Charles III
A few days ago (mid-October), five precious 18th-century tobacco boxes were recovered by the police. "Thanks to a thorough investigation conducted by the police, with the assistance of the Paris judicial police, five snuff boxes of great historical and heritage value were recovered and are now safe," said a press release from the prefecture. "These exceptional works had been loaned by the Louvre Museum, the English Royal Collections, and the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert collection on deposit at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London."
Room where the snuff boxes were displayed during the exhibition “Pocket luxury. Precious little objects from the Age of Enlightenment.”, © Fabrice Gaboriau
Located in a magnificent private mansion on rue Elzévir, very close to the Picasso Museum and the Swedish InstituteThe Cognacq-Jay Museum is entirely dedicated to the 18th century and, due to its very fine collection, is considered by some to be a “miniature Louvre”.
▼ Cognac-Jay Museum
8 Rue Elzevir, 75003 Paris
Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m.
Closed on Mondays
