Massive 210-Kilogram Book Illustrated by Dalí and Cocteau Stolen in France

A massive, one-of-a-kind art piece titled the "Book of the Apocalypse" was stolen overnight from a private museum in Issoire, located in France's Auvergne region, local prosecutors confirmed. Conceived by publisher Joseph Forêt as a total work of art inspired by the biblical Apocalypse of Saint John, the piece is regarded as one of the world's heaviest and most valuable books. Authorities from the Clermont-Ferrand public prosecutor’s office and the gendarmerie’s research unit have initiated an urgent criminal investigation into the high-profile heist.

Weighing 210 kilograms and containing 150 original parchment pages, the work is estimated to be worth several million euros. Surrealist master Salvador Dalí sculpted the heavy cover using the lost-wax casting technique, while prominent figures including Jean Cocteau, Ossip Zadkine, Léonard Foujita, and Jean Giono contributed to its texts and illustrations. Following the break-in, owner Christian Karoutzos expressed profound grief, describing it as a "cathedral-like work, a masterpiece, unique in the world," while adding that "French heritage was murdered." Issoire Mayor Bertrand Barraud emphasized that the cultural loss remains "incalculable."

Crafted between 1958 and 1961 through the collaboration of seven leading writers and seven acclaimed painters, the book was featured in roughly 150 exhibitions worldwide through 1972 before fading from the public eye. After being stored in Switzerland, Japanese collectors acquired the volume and initially planned to auction it piecemeal. Karoutzos, an art restoration executive, rescued the unified artifact in 2003 and placed its cover alongside several select parchments on display at his local contemporary art center.

The brazen theft highlights persistent security challenges confronting regional cultural institutions and private collections housing irreplaceable treasures. Coming roughly a year after a high-stakes jewelry heist struck the Louvre in Paris, French authorities are widening inquiries across borders to prevent the illicit sale or dismantling of this monumental creation.