Antiquities dealer who exposed British Museum thefts dies at 61

Dr Ittai Gradel, the antiquities dealer and former academic who uncovered the theft of hundreds of artifacts from the British Museum, died of cancer at age 61 in a Danish hospice. In his final days, he received the British Museum's rarely-presented medal from director Nicholas Cullinan for his 'very significant contribution.' Gradel first alerted the museum in 2021 after spotting gems from its collection being sold on eBay for low prices, but was dismissed by then deputy director Jonathan Williams. The museum later admitted 2,000 items were stolen, missing, or damaged, leading to the resignation of director Hartwig Fischer in 2023. Former senior curator Peter Higgs has been accused of stealing, damaging, and selling artifacts; he denies wrongdoing. A Metropolitan Police investigation continues. Gradel, who had a photographic memory, traced stolen items using an obscure 1920s book and returned over 360 objects to the museum. He expressed frustration that the case might 'fizzle out' without charges, but developments are expected soon. Gradel was born in Haifa, Israel in 1965, moved to Denmark at age two, and later studied at the British Museum as a young man. He left academia to become a dealer, calling it 'the happiest years of my life.' He is survived by his brother Kim Oren Gradel.