£30,000 sculpture stolen in heist finally rediscovered 16 years later at auction

17 September 2023 , 14:40

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A Wally Bird sculpture has been returned to its owner 16 years after it was stolen from a manor house in a heist (Image: SWNS)

A £30,000 sculpture stolen from a manor house in a London heist in 2007 has finally reemerged - at an auction. Thieves took the 130-year-old Wally Bird piece from Pitzhanger Manor House in Ealing as part of targeted raids two years apart.

The prized sculpture was amongst a number of items in a £288,000 Martinware pottery collection and was thought to be gone forever until it was spotted in an auction catalogue by a researcher working with Christopher Marinello, a lawyer and expert in tracing stolen art.

Its return was then secured by Mr Marinello, who handed it over to Ealing Council without charging for his services. Insurance firm Zurich Municipal had previously paid out over the stolen goods and as a gesture of goodwill, did not ask for the money back. The Wally Bird item is the third taken in the heist to be returned to the council in the last two years.

Christopher Marinello of Art Recovery International and Archivist for the London Borough of Ealing, Dr Jonathan Oates celebrate the sculpture's return (SWNS)

Council archivist Dr Jonathan Oates said: "It is great that yet another Martinware piece has been restored to its rightful place." It was reported at the time that thieves entered the property through a window in the early hours of March 22, 2007.

In a six-minute raid, 22 items to the value of around £240,000 were stolen. It followed a similar incident two years earlier that saw goods from the same collection taken from Southall Library.

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Paul Redington, a regional major loss manager employed by Zurich UK, said it was expressed his delight that the item was back in its rightful home. "We’re delighted this Wally Bird is back in the council’s possession, and the community can once again appreciate this rare art piece," he said.

"Wally Birds are an important part of the borough’s history, as many of the sculptures were crafted by the Martin brothers at their pottery in Southall. With Wally Birds now highly sought after by collectors worldwide, it’s wonderful to see this art piece back where it belongs."

Martinware pottery was crafted in Southall by four brothers between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Wally Bird sculptures are among the siblings' most famous works and are renowned for their large beaks and feet, and human-like features.

The items have increased in value over time and have therefore become more attractive to thieves. Mr Redington added: "Many items of art are stolen to order, and never recovered, which is what makes this find all the more remarkable."

Alan Johnson