Art theft involving Salvador Dalí in France

"French heritage has been robbed"

The theft occurred on the night from Sunday to Monday.

It is the work of a private collector who had a small museum of contemporary art, where works of lesser value were also exhibited, said the mayor of Issoire, Bertrand Barraud, in an interview with AFP.

He added that it was impossible to put a price on this work, and its owner told him that "this French heritage has been robbed." The agency noted that the owner was unable to provide details of the theft.

It was once the most expensive book in the world

The stolen work was published by the publisher Joseph Foret in 1959, said a statement from the prosecutor's office in Clermond Ferrand, which is handling the case. The publisher invited outstanding artists to cooperate, including: Georges Mathieu and Bernard Bufet, who illustrated the text of the "Apocalypse of Saint John".

The cover itself was made by Salvador Dali. The top layer of the book, which weighs 150 kilograms, is made mainly of bronze, precious stones and shells. The entire work weighs 210 kilograms.