$1.5 million ancient Buddha statue stolen from Los Angeles art gallery
(KTLA) Security cameras captured the moment an ancient Buddha statue worth US $1,500,000.00 was stolen from a Los Angeles art gallery.
The bronze sculpture was stolen on Sept. 18 from the Barakat Gallery on La Cienega Blvd. in Beverly Grove, Los Angeles, around 3:45 am, officials said.
Weighing 250 pounds, the artifact dates back to
Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1867), according to gallery owners. It was believed to have been commissioned for the centerpiece of a temple.
“I prize it so much,” said Fayez Barakat, the gallery's owner. “I had it in the backyard of my home and when I moved into this gallery, I put it in the backyard of the gallery for everybody to admire and enjoy.”
Security video shows the thief pulling up to the gallery in a moving truck. The driver steps out, breaks open a driveway gate, enters the gallery, and uses a dolly to move the statue into the truck.
The entire heist took around 25 minutes, the owner said.
“This gentleman came and, I think, strapped a rope or a chain around that piece and pulled it to his rental van and put it in the back,” Barakat said.
Barakat said he acquired the statue more than 55 years ago and that there is no other piece in the world quite like it.
“We have 200 objects back there, but this is our prize piece,” said Paul Henderson, the gallery’s director. “I don’t think there’s another like it on the market anywhere. It’s four feet tall, it’s hollow cast bronze, and it’s a stunning piece.
“It’s really aesthetically arresting, and it’s shocking to see something like this go missing.” Barakat believes the theft was premeditated due to the sculpture’s prominent display in the gallery’s outdoor space.
There were hundreds of other valuable items that could’ve been stolen as well, but only the Buddha statue was targeted. He believes the thief seemed to have their heart set on this specific artifact.
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