Museum theft: $100 million treasure resurfaces after three years in the forest

On May 11, 2003, at 4 a.m., an alarm suddenly went off at the Vienna Museum of Art History, which was undergoing renovations at the time.

The security guard ignored the alarm, thinking it was simply a glitch, and left the field open to a thief. Climbing the scaffolding, the intruder made off with Benvenuto Cellini’s famous Salt Cellar. Valued at between $50 million and $100 million, this priceless work is the only surviving solid-gold sculpture from the Renaissance, according to the specialized website Popular Mechanics.

Originally commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este and later crafted for King Francis I, the sculpture is rich in symbolism. It depicts Neptune and Tellus as personifications of the sea and the earth, surrounded by numerous mythological details, sea creatures, and allegories of the four elements (fire, water, earth, and wind).

After the French king’s death, the masterpiece passed from hand to hand until it arrived at the Viennese museum. Here in Austria, its disappearance has caused a national uproar. The authorities feared the worst: that the object might be melted down for its gold, thus sealing its permanent loss.

The thief, Robert Mang, was no ordinary stranger, however. This collector and expert in alarm systems had had his eye on the object for a long time. His plan was clear: to steal the salt shaker and resell the precious metal. Very quickly, however, he realized that such a piece was impossible to sell. Unable to sell it, he hid it under his bed before burying it, in a lead box, deep in a forest.

The investigation stalled, and the mystery remained unsolved for three years, until the day the thief made the mistake of sending ransom demands to the police. Spotted by surveillance cameras, Robert Mang eventually turned himself in and revealed the location of the salt shaker. The sculpture was recovered intact, and its thief was sentenced to four years in prison.