[MSN] Sculpture reported stolen from late actor Anthony Quinn's house.

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Sculpture reported stolen from late actor Anthony Quinn's house
December 11, 2006

BRISTOL, R.I. --A 6-foot-tall, 500-pound bronze sculpture created by the
late actor Anthony Quinn was stolen from the front lawn of his estate, and
the curator for Quinn's trust fears it will be melted down and sold as
scrap.


The sculpture, titled "Mercedes Woman," was made in 1990 and is valued at
more than $250,000, said curator Benjamin Bergenholtz. Quinn's widow,
Katherine, noticed the sculpture missing last week, and the estate called
police.

"Mrs. Quinn is really just interested in getting it back -- no questions
asked," Bergenholtz said. "She just wants the piece back."

Quinn's estate is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the
sculpture's recovery, Bergenholtz said. He said that while the thief may
have stolen the sculpture because of its value as art, he fears it's to sell
as scrap because the price of bronze has gone up in the last year.

The estate was in the process of moving its outdoor sculptures to secure
locations, prompted by the theft last December of a bronze statue from the
Henry Moore Foundation's headquarters in London.

"Mercedes Woman" was scheduled to be moved later this month. Katherine Quinn
noticed the sculpture missing when she went to inspect it in preparation for
the move, Bergenholtz said.

Quinn died in 2001 at the age of 86 and lived in Bristol for the last years
of his life. His trust owns 3,000 pieces of art, including pieces he made
and collected.

Quinn starred in 100 feature films, including a role as the fierce Bedouin
leader in "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962 and the earthy hero of the 1964 film
"Zorba the Greek."

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