Austrian figurine retrieved

A CHERISHED Renaissance figurine valued at €75 million which was stolen nearly three years ago was returned to the care of Austria’s Culture Ministry yesterday.

“Our joy is extraordinary,” Culture Minister Elisabeth Gehrer said as she took possession of the 16th century, gold-plated Saliera, or salt cellar sculpture, by Florentine master Benvenuto Cellini.

A 50-year-old man turned himself in to police on Friday after police released photos of him, identifying him as a suspect.

The 10ins masterpiece was slightly damaged after being buried in a wooden case, but could soon again be part of the Vienna Art History Museum’s regular collection after restoration work.

The buried sculpture was found on Saturday.

Police said the suspect had technical background - he installed alarm systems for a living - that would have helped in the theft of piece.

He was photographed while buying a mobile phone that was then used to send a text message to police during a failed attempt last year to ransom the figurine, the daily Salzburger Nachrichten reported.

The ornately carved sculpture, with gold, ebony and enamel, features a male figure holding a trident confronting a female figure. A small vessel meant to hold salt is placed next to the male figure.

It was created between 1540 and 1543 on commission from King Francis I of France, that nation’s first Renaissance monarch.

The theft shook Austria, revealing serious security gaps at the museum.

Museum guards heard an alarm but discounted it as false.