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Tuesday, 27th May 2008 (4429 views)

Canadian authorities have called in Interpol after the theft of ten "priceless" pieces of gold art by artist Bill Reid from the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, according to reports.

National broadcaster CBC says the pieces were taken during a break-in either late on the evening of May 24th or early on May 25th.

Although the precise value of the items is unknown, the site adds, UBC spokesman Scott Macrae said they were "pretty much priceless", adding their disappearance is a "really terrible thing" for Canada.

The Star reports that among the pieces of art taken was a gold box topped with a three-dimensional sculpture of an eagle, alongside renditions of a killer whale and a crouching bear. Other artefacts that have gone missing include cufflinks, bracelets and brooches.

CBC added that investigators are currently circulating pictures of the stolen art in the hopes it can be recovered quickly, before anyone is tempted to melt it down for its gold content.

Bill Reid was born in Victoria, British Columbia into the Haida tribe, one of the First Nations peoples of the Pacific coast. Widely regarded as one of Canada's best artists, images of his work are featured on the country's $20 note.

 

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