French family found vase in attic; it later sold for $16.18 million
An 18th-century Chinese porcelain vase, forgotten in a French family's attic, sold for €16.18 million at Sotheby’s Paris in 2018. The family brought it to the auction house in a shoebox, unaware of its value. Experts identified it as a rare imperial vase made for the Qianlong Emperor, and it sold for over 23 times its estimated value.
Two Auguste Renoir paintings, stolen from a French museum in early October, have been recovered, according to the local town hall. The artworks, "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" (1910) and "Jeune fille au puits" (1886), were taken from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on September 8th when thieves breached security by cutting a fence and smashing a window.
Mayor Bryan Masson expressed immense joy and relief over the paintings' return, stating they are integral to the city's history and cultural heritage. The recovery process is expected to be detailed in a press release later on Friday. The Renoir Museum, opened in 1960, houses 12 of the renowned painter's works, including his easel and wheelchair.
In recent years, France has experienced significant art thefts, including the Louvre robbery in October, where crown jewels worth €88m were stolen in broad daylight by disguised construction workers.
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- Renoir heist solved: 2 paintings stolen from French museum recovered; 6 arrested hindustantimes.com
- Renoir paintings recovered, 6 people arrested after heist at France museum last month cbc.ca
