Going, going, gone: statue theft spoils Bamber’s sale
BAMBER GASCOIGNE’S plan to sell off the family silver belonging to his Great aunt mary, Duchess of roxburghe, is experiencing so many hiccups that it’s tempting to think it might be jinxed.
Last week, i reported that a number of lots were withdrawn from this month’s sotheby’s sale, which he hoped would raise £2 million, after claims were made disputing the ownership of ‘a quantity of items’ by the current Duke of roxburghe.
Now, I hear of another embarrassing setback. an 18th- century lead statue of mercury, which Gascoigne intended to sell in the keenly anticipated auction on may 27, has been stolen.
The statue, thought to have been made by someone close to the Flemish-born sculptor John Nost, was expected to fetch £ 15,000 and is given prominent billing in the sotheby’s catalogue.
also pilfered from the grounds were a 17th- century bronze bell, a carved limestone and bronze sundial and two lead fountain figures by H. crowther and son.
it is feared the opportunistic thieves were intent on melting down the lead before selling it on as scrap.
The items were taken two weeks ago from the garden of mary’s surrey home West Horsley Place, which she left to Gascoigne in her will when she died last year.
The crumbling, Grade ilisted house, near Leather - head, needs at least £4 million spent on restorations.
Former University challenge quizmaster bamber , 80, hopes to fund half of the works by selling off the contents of the house, which is a treasure trove of historic antiques and paint - ings, and the other half by flogging mary’s highly valuable collection of jewellery.
His decision to restore the house to its former glory , rather than sell it to the highest bidder , was greeted with delight by the country house set.
‘it was such a special place for mary and it is a place with a remarkable history,’ said bamber. ‘We thought it would be better to try to make it habitable again for future generations.’ surrey Police have appealed to anyone who might have seen the stolen items on a website, in an antique dealer’s window or scrapyard. meanwhile, sotheby’s appears to be resigned to the prized statue being gone for good. Y esterday, the missing lot had been quietly removed from its online catalogue.