More than 100 artifacts stolen from wealthy homes in Hollywood and West Los Angeles in 1993 have been recovered thanks to a tip from an auctioneer. The prized objects—which include paintings by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró as well as historical documents and antique weapons—were recovered by the Los Angeles Police Department earlier this summer after an auctioneer in Southern California recognized some of the objects in his showroom on the LAPD website.

At the time of the burglaries in 1993, two suspects were captured, but the artifacts were never recovered. According to LAPD Captain Lillian Carranza, the person who provided the stolen objects to the auction house is related to one of the suspects apprehended in 1993, though it’s unclear if they realized they were in possession of stolen goods.

The LAPD is working with experts from the J. Paul Getty Museum to create a catalogue of the works and appraise their value. While some of them have been valued at $60,000, others have to be reappraised because years of improper storage may have caused damage. In the meantime, the police department created a public online database in hopes that victims of the 1993 burglaries will come forward to claim stolen items they’re owed.

Article by Artsy vía: https://www.artsy.net/news