Surrey Police searching for previous owner of distinctive ivory ornaments
Among them is a carving of a bat eating a pomegranate
Police investigating a high value burglary in Woking are looking to identify the previous owners of several Japanese ivory ornaments.
Known as okimono, they were not from the burglary, but officers are suspicions of how they came into possession of an antiques dealer being investigated in connection with the incident in Woking.
The dealer had sold the distinctive pieces at an auction in 2019.
Among them is a carving of a bat eating a pomegranate, two tigers attacking a camel and a monkey attacking a kappa.
Detective Constable Kerry Plumb of Surrey Police said: “I am keen to understand how the antiques dealer came to be in possession of these distinctive items – did he buy them? inherit them? was he given them? were they stolen?
“The pieces probably all belonged to the same collector, and I feel sure that someone will recognise them. If you do recognise any of these pieces please make contact so we can understand if the dealer was legitimately allowed to sell them.
“I want to stress that the auction house, original owner and current owner are not believed to have done anything wrong – I am just keen to understand the previous history of these items to help my investigation into the antiques dealer.”
Anyone who recognises them, knows anything about their ownership or whereabouts in, or before, 2018 is asked to contact police via 101, quoting PR/45190014823.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.