A photo from open sources
Fifteen years ago from the church of Santa Maria de Lara that on northern Spain, attackers stole unique bas-reliefs, created at least a thousand years ago. Experts believed that these sculptures are lost for the country forever, because such thefts usually made to order, after which the exhibits are nowhere and never “pop up,” settling in private collections.
However, the Dutch artifact hunter Arthur Brand did not lose hope of finding ancient bas-reliefs, priceless in the world art. However, on the black market and auctions for such rarities a very specific price is set, sometimes not even too much high.
So, most recently at one of the London auctions were sold bas-reliefs “to decorate the garden”, which their owner is a Frenchman positioned as works of the Visigoth era (approximately VII century AD). The final price of this lot was 50 thousand pounds.
With great intuition, Arthur Brand, who is not nicknamed “Indiana Jones in the world of art” in vain, managed to get out on the buyer of bas-reliefs – and it turned out that this is just exhibits stolen in 2004 from the church of Santa Maria de Lara. The English aristocrat was so shocked that he bought “garden decorations” were stolen that he wanted to stay incognito, because such a deal, one way or another, leaves spot on reputation. At the same time, he implicitly returned the church bas-reliefs, which soon with the assistance of law enforcement agencies Spain was transferred to the museum of the city of Burgos. Their further fate not yet traceable, and it doesn’t matter: the main thing is that the ancients masterpieces returned to their “home”.
By the way, Arthur Brand admitted to reporters that in his heart he himself no longer hoping to find stolen sculptures, but, constantly monitoring auctions and the movement of works of art in “private sector, “immediately drew attention to the appearance in London French merchant with similar rarities. And the flair did not fail “hunter” …
Unfortunately, nothing about the French guest performer it is reported, although, as practice shows, to find the abductors rarities through such third (and sometimes tenth) intermediaries or resellers is almost impossible …
Sculptures
