“What if the display case wasn’t empty?”
This question was posed by archaeologist Shaimaa Farouk following the theft of Queen Nazli’s necklace from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna, Austria.
The incident has brought to the forefront the risks of securing historical artifacts and opened the door to a scenario even more worse than the theft itself: that the original piece had been replaced with a replica.
Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Farouk warned that the presence of an artifact in a display case does not necessarily mean the original is still there.
She called to shift priorities from securing the display location to securing the “identity of the artifact” itself.
“I’m not talking about a specific incident, nor am I accusing anyone, but from a security standpoint, all possible scenarios must be considered, including the replacement of the original with a replica,” she explained.
Farouk continued: “The most dangerous thing is that the presence of a piece inside the display case may give the impression that everything is fine, while the truth may be different. Therefore, we need scientific and technical mechanisms that allow us to continuously verify that the piece in front of us is the original piece.”
An unbelievable theft
Austrian police announced the theft of a diamond necklace belonging to Queen Nazli from the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna.
Two unknown individuals broke into the display case during opening hours, stole the necklace, and fled.
Police released photos of two suspects dressed in dark clothing inside the museum, but have not yet released any further details about the investigation.
The necklace was on display as part of an exhibition featuring more than 300 pieces of jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels.
The necklace was designed in Paris in 1939 specifically for Queen Nazli to commemorate the wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to the then Crown Prince of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who later became Shah of Iran.
The necklace is made of platinum and designed in the style of a wide bodice in the Art Deco style. It is set with hundreds of diamonds, reportedly around 673 stones, with a total weight exceeding 200 carats.
A $4.3 Million tale
The necklace left Egypt with Queen Nazli when she departed for the US after stripping her royal titles.
It reappeared at a Sotheby’s auction in New York in 1975, where it sold for approximately US$ 140,000.
The necklace resurfaced at auction in 2015, selling for approximately $4.3 million, before returning to Van Cleef & Arpels, the house that designed it.
Farouk believes the necklace’s true value transcends its price in the jewelry market, stating, “We’re not just talking about gold and diamonds; we’re talking about a piece that carries history, identity, and a context linked to the history of Egypt and the royal family.”
“Whether we’re talking about a Pharaonic artifact thousands of years old or a piece connected to modern Egyptian royal history, the value isn’t limited to the raw material or the price it might fetch at auction.”
Previous Attempted Theft in Paris
The Vienna incident was not the first threat to the necklace.
It was previously targeted in a 2021 theft attempt in Paris while on display at a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition in the Natural History Museum.
According to French authorities at the time, police spotted three individuals inside the exhibition observing security procedures before arresting them.
Investigations revealed they were practicing breaking the glass display case in preparation for stealing the necklace and escaping on motorcycles.
Farouk says this incident reveals that exceptionally valuable pieces can be of criminal interest for years.
She added, “This confirms that the security of pieces cannot be static; rather, the level of risk and protection measures must be continuously reviewed.”
Digital Fingerprint for Every Piece
The researcher believes that technology can play a greater role in protecting historical artifacts by creating a comprehensive digital file for each piece.
This file would include precise scientific images, 3D scans, dimensions, weight, and technical and physical characteristics, along with documentation of scratches, marks, and distinctive details.
She stated, “We need each piece to have a fingerprint, just like a human fingerprint, so that we can identify it even if it appears years later at an auction, in a private collection, or with an external institution.”
Farouk explained that the digital record could be linked to a secure identification code, updated with each transfer, restoration, or exhibition, and periodically matched with the recorded data.
She continued, “If the piece appears years later, we should be able to confidently say: This is the same piece we had, not just a resemblance.”
Risk Begins Before Display
Farouk emphasized that the possibility of substitution shouldn’t only be considered after an artifact reaches the display case.
Rather, security measures must extend throughout the entire lifecycle of the artifact, from the moment it’s discovered in an excavation or seized and handed over by the relevant authorities, to its transfer, placement in the museum, display, restoration, and maintenance.
She said, “It’s essential to understand that an artifact passes through several stages and different hands before reaching the display case. Therefore, protection shouldn’t be limited to the museum; it should begin from the very first moment the artifact is discovered, seized, or registered.”
Farouk added, “Every transfer of the artifact represents a point that must be secured and documented. We don’t want to discover years later that a piece exists, but the question becomes: Is it the original piece that was initially found or seized?”
Farouk stressed the need to start digitally securing the piece from the moment it is first registered, by creating a secure digital file that includes high-resolution images, a 3D scan, measurements, dimensions, weight, physical and technical characteristics, and any marks, scratches or distinctive features of the piece – in addition to giving it a secure identification code.
She explained that this file should accompany the artifact throughout its lifecycle, recording every receipt, transfer, storage, restoration, display, or inventory.
This allows for a complete review of the artifact’s history and a comparison of its current condition with its digital record at every stage.
Farouk continued, “Digital security doesn’t simply mean photographing the artifact; it means creating a digital identity for it, ensuring a continuous match between the physical artifact and the data recorded about it.”
“We need to know where the artifact was, who received it, when it was moved, and what procedures were performed on it, with every step being digitally documented. This way, we not only protect the artifact from theft but also reduce the chances of substitution or tampering at any stage of its lifecycle.”
Farouk emphasized that “a display case is not the beginning of protection,” stating, “An artifact must be secured from the moment it is discovered or seized, not from the moment it is placed behind glass. True protection of an artifact begins with protecting its identity and historical record before protecting its physical location.”
Proof Of Authenticity
The researcher believes that digital documentation is not only a means of preventing theft, but can also become a tool for recovering artifacts that have been misappropriated.
She said, “If the artifact reappears years later at an auction, in a private collection, or with an external institution, we must be able to compare it with its previous records. We want to reach a point where we can confidently say: This is the same artifact we had, not just a resemblance.”
She concludes with a clear message: “The question is no longer simply: Where is the artifact? The more important question is: Is what we have before us the same artifact?”
In a world where shapes can be imitated, metals melted, and features altered, the digital “fingerprint” of the artifact becomes an additional line of defense for the truth, Farouk explained.
An artifact may be stolen, smuggled, or hidden, but scientifically and precisely documenting its identity makes erasing its existence from history much more difficult, the researcher said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
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