[MSN] Carving found after eight years

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Carving found after eight years
An ivory carving stolen from a museum eight years ago has been found after being offered at a German auction.

The Japanese belt toggle, depicting a magic fox, and known as a netsuke, was taken from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) in March 1999.

The item was recovered after it was offered for sale at auction with a guide price of £28,000.

A spokeswoman for the museum and art gallery said she was delighted at the carving's return after so many years.

'Professional thieves'

The netsuke was spotted by Dr Ulli Seegers of the Art Loss Register in an auction sale in Cologne in December 2005.

A spokeswoman for the Birmingham museum said at the time of its theft a gang of professional thieves had been targeting museums around the country for their netsuke.

They were able to hide from CCTV cameras and crunch showcase locks. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk