The artwork, titled La Promesse, is an imposing bronze sculpture inspired by the seed pod of an iris foetidissima and weighs approximately 350 kilograms. Ms. Curry discovered the theft upon returning to her home in Arkesden, Saffron Walden, Essex, on the evening of December 6 after attending a funeral.
The 82-year-old artist, celebrated for her garden sculptures and portraits, including a bronze bust of Sir John Major housed in the UK’s House of Commons, reported the theft to Essex Police immediately. However, she expressed deep frustration, stating that no arrests have been made and describing the handling of the case as “extraordinarily inefficient.”
“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “I had been away for the day, and when I returned in the evening, the sculpture was gone. They had obviously planned it carefully, visiting the garden beforehand to identify the bronze among my other sculptures.”
Ms. Curry revealed that most of her garden sculptures are made from resin, a material less attractive to thieves due to its lower value. She believes the perpetrators systematically tested the sculptures to locate the bronze piece.
Adding to her distress, she said police officers did not visit her property until December 27—three weeks after the incident. Essex Police defended their actions, stating they made multiple attempts to contact Ms. Curry throughout December, which they claimed went unanswered.
Impact on Security and Loss
The theft has left Ms. Curry shaken, disrupting her sense of safety in her cherished home. “When you live in a village you love, you don’t think of it as threatening. This has completely changed how I feel about my environment,” she lamented.
She also highlighted the grim fate of stolen bronze sculptures, noting that they are often melted down and sold as scrap rather than appreciated for their artistic value. “People don’t realize that such sculptures are stolen not for their beauty but for the metal itself,” she said. “The police need to act quickly in these situations.”
Despite her hopes fading, Ms. Curry cherishes La Promesse as one of her most successful works, stating, “It’s not just valuable; it holds immense personal significance.” The sculpture cost £20,000 to cast and had a market value of £60,000.
