Two 19th century paintings of Maori tribal leaders have been stolen from an art gallery in Auckland in an unprecedented robbery, authorities and experts said on April 3. New Zealand police said they responded to a robbery in the early hours of Saturday (April 1) and discovered two paintings by Czech artist Gottfried Lindauer - best known for his detailed portraits of Maori chiefs - missing from the International Art Centre in Auckland.
The New Zealand Herald identified the paintings which were due to be auctioned this week as being valued at NZ$1 million ($700,100.00) as a pair. The paintings of husband and wife Chieftainess Ngatai Raure and Chief Ngatai-Raure, which depict the Maori practice of facial tattooing, are thought to have painted by Lindauer in the early 1880s, as he travelled around the north island of the country, according to historical accounts.
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