2025 has been a tough year for art.
A couple crushed ‘Van Gogh’s chair’ in the Palazzo Maffei, in Verona; a 300-year-old painting in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery was torn by a tourist trying to create a meme; then there was the Louvre heist – but that is a whole other kettle of fish.
And now, a young boy has knocked over gold crown – worth £240,765 – at the X Museum in Beijing, China.
Footage shows the child touching the glass display cabinet and the crown tumbling to the ground.
The jewel, which weighs 2 kilograms, is owned by beauty influencer Zhang Kaiyi.
It was painstakingly crafted from pure gold by her artist husband Zhang Yudong for her to wear on their wedding day.
Experts now estimate that the damage caused is about £42,420 and there are fears that the boy’s parents may be held liable for it.
Although the piece is insured, the influencer believes its value cannot be calculated solely on the weight of the gold.
She said: ‘Therefore, I am seeking advice online on how best to calculate the damage.’
A venue spokesperson previously stated that ‘the cover [of the display] was not securely fixed.’
Lawyers also said that, considering the crown’s characteristics and value, the display case should have been more stable and protective.
It remains unclear if a ‘do not touch’ sign was displayed on the piece prior to the accident.
In a follow-up post, Zhang pointed out that it was never her intention to seek compensation from the child’s family or to expose anyone for online content.
She also pointed out that the piece is fully insured and that she only wants advice on how best to approach the claim.
The damaged crown is currently being assessed by experts as discussions continue.
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