Stolen artwork arrives in Vienna

By Rebecca Musgrave

A valuable artwork has turned up in the Vienna Dorotheum, Austria, almost 10 years after it was stolen. The porcelain relief of Tsar Peter the Great, which was taken from the Ostankino Estate Museum in Moscow, Russia, arrived in the auction house from an unknown seller in France ready to be sold.

Prior to any auction the catalogue of items can be checked by the Art Loss Register. It was through this process that the Dorotheum became aware of the stolen piece worth over 50,000 Euros. The relief is recorded in the world’s largest database of stolen goods.

According to a statement given to “Wien heute” the Dorotheum removed the art work from the auction immediately, awaiting investigation from the public prosecutor’s office and Interpol. Until a settlement has been reached in the case, the relief will remain with the Dorotheum in Vienna.