A bronze cover of the «Apocalypse of Saint John» created by Salvador Dali was stolen from a contemporary art center in Issouar, France. It weighs about 150 kg. The theft was confirmed by the Clermont-Ferrand prosecutor's office. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
When the theft occurred
According to AFP, the work was stolen on the night of October 4-5. The bronze cover is decorated with gold, precious stones and seashells. The total weight of the book together with the parchment pages is 210 kg.
History of the book
The book was created from 1958 to 1961 at the initiative of French publisher Joseph Foret. It exists in a single copy. Seven artists and seven writers worked on the work, including Salvador Dali, Leonard Foujita, Bernard Buffet, Jean Cocteau and Emil Cioran.
The text is handwritten on 150 parchment pages. In the past, the edition was considered the heaviest and most expensive book in the world.
Where the book was kept
After international exhibitions, the work was kept in Switzerland, and then ended up with Japanese owners. Later it was acquired by collector and restorer Christian Caroutzos. The cover and part of the parchment pages were exhibited in his art center in Issouar.
Investigation status
The prosecutor's office called the stolen work «exceptional and unique». The investigation was entrusted to the gendarmerie. The circumstances of the theft are not yet disclosed.