Visitor trips over shoelace at British museum, shatters Chinese vases

CAMBRIDGE, England (AP) — A visitor to a British museum tripped on his shoelace, stumbled down a stairway and fell into a display of centuries-old Chinese vases, shattering them into "very small pieces," officials said Monday.
The three Qing dynasty vases, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, had been donated to the Fitzwilliam Museum in the university city of Cambridge in 1948 and were among its best-known artifacts. They sat on the window sill beside the staircase for 40 years.

"It was a most unfortunate and regrettable accident, but we are glad that the visitor involved was able to leave the museum unharmed," museum director Duncan Robinson said.

The museum declined to identify the man who tripped on a loose shoelace Wednesday.

Asked about the porcelain vases, Margaret Greeves, the museum's assistant director, said: "They are in very, very small pieces, but we are determined to put them back together."

The museum declined to say what the vases were worth.

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You break it, you buy it.

"It was a most unfortunate and regrettable accident, but we are glad that the visitor involved was able to leave the museum unharmed," museum director Duncan Robinson said.

Rest of the quote "......Cause we were planning on beating the shit out of him, but there were too many people around."

Maybe it was Ted Kennedy as he left after having a few snorts.

Quoted: Maybe it was Ted Kennedy as he left after having a few snorts.

He ain't wearing no shoes.

I'm guessing that they are not upset because the vases are insured for an obscene amount of money.

Quoted: I'm guessing that they are not upset because the vases are insured for an obscene amount of money.

More likely they are incredibly well-crafted fakes of which they have 6 more of in the back, just in case this sort of shit happens.  The real ones are packed in foam and inside of a silver skating case being negotiated for by some Russians, but seconds away from being hijacked by an Irish-led operation...

I've fallen and I can't get up.    






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