Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inShahana YasminThursday 15 October 2026 08:27 BSTThe blue-and-white bowl dating to the Kangxi period of China’s Qing dynasty (The Trustees of the British Museum)The British Museum has launched an investigation after a 300-year-old Qing dynasty porcelain bowl fell from a display shelf, shattering and damaging a second artefact below.Both damaged items belong to the Sir Percival David Collection, a 1,700-object set of Chinese ceramics valued at approximately £1bn.Museum conservators have begun work to fully restore both objects while staff investigate why the bowl fell despite no visible mount failure.The incident occurred on 4 October in Room 95, leading staff to temporarily evacuate visitors from the gallery.The damage has caused outrage on Chinese social media, sparking renewed demands for Chinese cultural relics held overseas to be returned.In fullChinese artefacts damaged in mystery fall at British Museum as calls for their return growMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in