Charles Townley
British collector and connoisseur. His collection was acquired by the British Museum in the early 19th century
How a Danish museum was asked to safeguard and then return 290 stolen gems to British Museum
The Danish specialist Ittai Gradel, who first raised alarm about thefts of antiquities from the London museum, and earlier returned 61 gems bought separately on eBay, approached the Thorvaldsens Museum to help in repatriating a second, larger set of stolen pieces
British Museumfeature
How the Townley collection became the British Museum’s ‘forgotten’ marbles
Many of the British Museum thefts of engraved gems and glass pieces, revealed last August, were likely from Charles Townley’s collection