It was 10:30pm on a Friday when Arthur Brand got the delivery he was nervously expecting. His doorbell rang, and when he opened the door, no one was there. Instead, a cardboard box was waiting for him at the door in the dark.
In that box was one of the most sacred artifacts ever stolen from the Catholic Church: the “Precious Blood of Christ” relic, he said.
“[My] heart was beating in [my] chest,” the Dutch art detective said in an interview about the recovery of the stolen treasure.
Photo: AFP
Brand is dubbed the “Indiana Jones of the art world” for his remarkable recoveries of stolen art, including the Hitler’s Horses bronze statues, a Picasso painting and a ring that once belonged to Oscar Wilde.
At 52, he is one of the most famous art sleuths in the world, trusted by both thieves and police for his unprecedented access to the criminal trade in stolen art.
However, getting his hands on the “Precious Blood of Christ” relic was a particularly special experience for him.
“As a Catholic myself, this is about as close to Jesus and the legend of the Holy Grail you can get,” he said.
“It was a religious experience,” he said.
MASSIVE SHOCK
When he opened the box, he discovered what he hoped he would: the relic perfectly intact. The ornate container, about 30cm high, has two metal bulbs inside and is said to hold drops of Jesus’ blood collected in the Holy Grail during the crucifixion.
It is held in a heavily gilded copper box with encrusted precious stones and depictions of Christ on the cross and other saints. The holy relic is believed to date back to the death of Christ and has been a source of worship for Catholic pilgrims for more than 1,000 years. It was held by the Fecamp Abbey in France’s Normandy region until the night of June 1 to 2, when it was stolen, just two weeks before the annual “Mass of the Precious Blood” celebration.
“The thief most likely got inside by being locked in after hours and made off with the artifact,” Brand said.
“It was a massive shock that this famous piece, this legendary piece was stolen,” he said at his home, the relic on display nearby.
The relic and its copper box were not the only objects waiting in the cardboard box on Brand’s doorstep on that fateful July evening.
There were several copper liturgical plates, depictions of saints and an ornate goblet, which were also stolen from the abbey last month. Brand carefully showed Agence France-Presse the ornate and heavy copper box with a miniature roof and four angels on its corners, called a reliquary.
Brand was to hand the artifact to Dutch police yesterday, who will give it to French authorities to be eventually returned to the Fecamp Abbey.
AFP could not independently verify the authenticity of the objects, and they have not yet been examined by police or experts. The abbey could not immediately be reached for comment.
However, Brand has no doubt about their authenticity.
“I have no doubt in my mind that it is the real thing. Religious objects are almost impossible to forge.”
‘A CURSE’
Brand said his involvement in the case started a few days after the theft, when he received a protected e-mail from an anonymous writer, claiming to have the stolen loot in their possession.
“This person was approaching me on behalf of another, at whose home the stolen relics were being stored,” Brand said.
But “to have the ultimate relic, the blood of Jesus, in your home, stolen, that’s a curse,” he said. “When they realized what it was, that you in fact cannot sell it, they knew they had to get rid of it.”
Brand showed AFP an e-mail written in Dutch in which the person asked him to take back the stolen property, as it was too risky to return it to the abbey itself.
Brand was told that the stolen artifact would be delivered to his home, but no date or time was given.
“I was virtually a prisoner in my own home for a week. I could not leave,” he said, laughing.
Finally the objects turned up, delivered by an anonymous sender.
Asked why the thieves would return the stolen art to Brand, the detective said “it would be too dangerous to involve the police.”
“These people know my reputation and that the most important thing is to return this to the church. Hopefully, it will stand for another thousand years,” Brand said.
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