According to Gina Braun from the gallery, an elderly man believed to be in his mid to late 60s walked into the gallery and removed the 35cm bronze sculpture.
Braun said the security guard had approached the man and asked him if he was allowed to take the sculpture, in response it is alleged that the elderly man replied “madam said I could take it.”
“The security guard still thought something was not right,” said Braun, however by then the elderly man had got into his yellow VW beetle that was parked on Keyes Avenue.
“The security guard followed [the elderly man’s car] down Jellicoe Avenue and as soon as the [traffic] light turned green, he went onto Jan Smuts and drove away,” said Braun.
Braun said the stolen artwork worth R90 000 named Sphinx by artist Deborah Bell would be put on an art theft register.
The gallery confirmed that a case has been opened with the police.
Gordon Massie, managing director of Artinsure, explained that the purpose of the art theft register is to circulate awareness on stolen items of art, to minimise the potential of those items being resold.
“The register is sent to a national and international network, it is also available online,” said Massie.
Massie, who is strongly familiar with art and cultural property theft, spoke about the general nature of art theft.
He stated that though there is a wide variety of theft involving artwork, it is generally stolen in a more discreet manner. The pieces stolen are sometimes not targeted for their value but rather for the material they are made out of, such as bronze and copper, which can be sold for scrap.
Details: www.artinsure.co.za/art-theft-register
