VIENNA, Austria – A suspect in the theft of a $60 million Renaissance figurine has turned himself in, and police said Saturday they had recovered the object, stolen almost three years ago from an Austrian museum.
The Austria Press Agency said experts had established the authenticity of the figurine – the 16th-century, gold-plated “Saliera,” or saltcellar sculpture by the Florentine master Benvenuto Cellini.
The sculpture, buried in a wooden case, was found near Zwettl, a town about 55 miles north of Vienna, said the official, who would not identify himself on the phone, in accordance with Austrian practice.
He said the man, whom he also refused to identify, turned himself in Friday after police released photos identifying him as a suspect.
The man was photographed by a surveillance camera while buying a cell phone that was then used to send a text message to police during a failed attempt last year to ransom the figurine, the daily Salzburger Nachrichten reported. He went to the police after acquaintances told him he resembled the person being sought.
Authorities have worked to track down the Saliera since it was stolen from a showcase at Vienna’s Art History Museum on May 11, 2003.
The 10-inch gold, ebony and enamel sculpture features a male figure holding a trident confronting a female figure. A small vessel meant to hold salt is placed next to the male figure.
It was created between 1540 and 1543 on commission from King Francis I of France, commonly considered that nation’s first Renaissance monarch.
The gold-plated “Saliera” was created in the mid-16th century.
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