WATCH: Grand collapse at the museum – tourist sits on a priceless crystal chair and breaks it!
Museums are like giant “Do Not Touch” signs with exquisite lighting. And yet, for some of us (yes, me included), the temptation is just too strong. I mean, if something has survived 4,000 years, surely it can survive a gentle, reverent touch – right?
That was my logic years ago when I lovingly ran my fingers over an ancient Egyptian stone tablet in the Nubian Museum in Aswan. The hieroglyphics were breathtaking, and I was completely entranced… until a very polite curator tapped me on the shoulder and explained (with a smile that said “you silly tourist”) that no, the artefacts are not meant to be stroked like a golden retriever.
The priceless crystal chair incident that has sparked online cringe
Fast-forward to today, and it turns out I’m not alone in my museum misdemeanours. In Italy, a crystal chair inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s famous 1888 painting Van Gogh’s Chair was recently damaged by a tourist who did more than just look – he sat. Yes, really.
CCTV footage from Palazzo Maffei in Verona shows a man and woman taking turns to pose next to the museum’s prized piece, a Swarovski crystal-covered chair by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, created between 2006 and 2007.
The man plopped himself right down on it, breaking its seat and both front legs as it collapsed.
The woman quickly helped him up, and the pair made a speedy getaway before anyone could stop them.
“They waited for the staff to leave the room,” said museum director Vanessa Carlon in a video posted on social media. “And then… off they went, indifferent to what had happened.”
Carlon added: “What you just saw would be ridiculous if it hadn’t, unfortunately, actually happened. The ultimate nightmare for any museum.
Due to its intricate design and delicate construction, the museum initially feared the artwork was beyond repair. But in a surprising twist, restorers managed to save the piece.
“Fortunately, the piece is shining once again,” Carlon confirmed.
The museum reported the incident to the police. As of now, the identity of the tourists remains unknown. Palazzo Maffei released the footage from the April incident this week as a warning to museum-goers everywhere:”Just look, don’t lounge”.
It’s not the first time priceless art pieces have been manhandled
Sadly, the Van Gogh chair isn’t the only victim of touchy visitors:
In April, a valuable painting by Mark Rothko was removed from display in a Dutch museum after a child accidentally damaged it.
In 2023, a man shattered a sculpture by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei during the opening of his exhibition in Bologna, Italy.
IOL Travel