Theft in Netherlands of ancient golden helmet leaves Romania distraught

BRUSSELS —  The prize in this art heist is worth more than gold. To Romania, the ancient helmet is a priceless cultural heirloom. To the Netherlands, it’s a stolen artifact that authorities hope to retrieve to uphold a reputation for safe museums.

The intricate golden Cotofenesti helmet dates back some 2,500 years and is one of Romania’s most revered national treasures from the Dacia civilization. It was on display at the small Drents Museum in eastern Netherlands on the last weekend of a six-month stint when thieves nabbed it.

The theft of the helmet and three golden wristbands also on display sent shock waves through the art world, and devastated Romanian authorities who thought they were lending the items to a nation where security for museums was paramount.

“It is a pitch dark day for us,” museum director Harry Tupan said.

Investigators had found few clues by late Monday beyond a burnt-out car close to the museum, indicating the thieves wanted to cover their tracks.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said the artifacts have “exceptional cultural and historical importance” for Romanian heritage and identity, and that their disappearance had “a strong emotional and symbolic impact on society.”

It was a heist that “even in our most pessimistic dreams, we would not have believed possible,” said the director of Romania’s National History Museum, Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu.

Romanian Justice Minister Radu Marinescu called the incident a “crime against our state” and said recovering the artifacts “is an absolute priority.”

The helmet’s fame and dramatic studded appearance means it could never easily be sold, raising fears the thieves were after the gold itself.

“It is simply unsellable. The whole world knows it. So, they likely went for the gold to — I almost dare not utter the words — melt it,” said Dutch art expert Arthur Brand.

That would reduce the treasure to a fraction of its cultural and historical value. Gold stands at about $89,000 per kilo and the helmet is estimated to weigh slightly less than that.

“It is not only about the gold. It is about the cultural heritage,” Tupan said. “And it has been taken in a strange way and hurts incredibly.”

On grainy security video distributed by police, three people are seen opening a museum door with a big crowbar, after which an explosion is seen. Then they must have made off with the loot in a matter of minutes.

“Security, as it is supposed it be, was as far as we know, totally as it should be,” Tupan said. “And now, it is a small battlefield. There is nothing else for us to do but sit and wait and see what will happen.”

Casert and McGrath write for the Associated Press. McGrath reported from Bucharest, Romania. AP writer Aleks Furtula in Arnhem, Netherlands, contributed to this report.