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Vancouver — RCMP in British Columbia confirm they have recovered at least some of the Bill Reid artworks that were stolen from the Museum of Anthropology last month – and the works are intact.
“We have executed search warrants in the Lower Mainland which have led to the recovery of art pieces stolen from the museum,” RCMP Constable Annie Linteau said on Monday.
Constable Linteau would not say if any arrests have been made.
“This is very fresh,” she said. She said police would release more information Tuesday or Wednesday.
RCMP cruisers are parked outside the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver on Sunday as police probe the theft of several priceless gold works of art by legendary Haida artist Bill Reid. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)
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“We're very pleased with the recovery of the items, but obviously there are still [a] person or persons responsible that we're hoping to pursue charges against,” she said.
Fifteen artworks were stolen from the UBC museum on the night of May 23 or the morning of May 24. Twelve of the works were created by the iconic Haida artist Bill Reid. Because 11 of them were made from gold – and three pieces of Mexican jewellery that looked like gold (but were actually gold-plated) were taken from another display case – the theft sparked fears that the items would be melted down for their gold content.
Constable Linteau says the works that have been recovered were intact, but refused to say how many of the stolen works have been found.
“There's a huge sense of relief for people in the museum,” said UBC spokesperson Scott Macrae. But not even the museum was informed how many – or which – of the works had been found.
“They haven't specified the items,” Mr. Macrae said. “The figure I've been told is … ‘at least some.' ”
Mr. Macrae said he was looking forward to getting more information, once the RCMP were able to release further details.
RCMP had previously said they thought the thieves were from the Lower Mainland. They also said they thought the thieves might be trying to sell the art work through a network of criminal associates in the Vancouver area.
The museum estimated the art was worth about $2-million, while melted down the gold would be worth about $15,000.
The university was offering a $50,000 reward for the safe return of the items.
Mr. Reid, an iconic Haida artist whose work can be seen on the $20 bill, is considered largely responsible for the renaissance of northwest coast art and its mainstream appeal. He died in 1998 but interest in his work remains high. A gallery named for him opened this month in Vancouver. The Museum of Anthropology has more than 200 of his works.
Among the stolen items was a 1967 gold box topped by a sculpted three-dimensional eagle. Stunning by all accounts and a work of tremendous craftsmanship, it was the first gold box Mr. Reid made, according to his wife Martine.
He constructed it, she said, by soldering together 50 sheets of gold. “If the gold box is gone, that's really dramatic,” she said, before the museum confirmed that it was among the stolen items. “It's an amazing, amazing piece.”
The works were insured through the university.
Two display cases were targeted in the theft. The Reid items were exhibited together in a glass case surrounded by black granite in the Bill Reid Rotunda. Display cases to the left and right – filled mostly with silver jewellery – were untouched.
