MANILA, Philippines - A priced bronze Juan Sajid Imao sculpture worth P500,000 was stolen from the Artists' Haven (Kanlungan ng Sining) complex in Rizal Park, Manila.
The crown displayed on a pedestal in the area was replaced with a plant as as a cover-up for the theft.
Park officials said they discovered the theft of the three-foot sculpture last Saturday.
Imao's wife Cielo said in a report by Coconuts Manila that the artist regrets the loss of the sculpture, which was submitted to the Art Associations of the Philippines awards and donated after the competition.
Imao, although visually impaired, is known for his 40-foot cast-metal bronze statue of Lapu-Lapu in Luneta.
P500K bronze crown in Luneta stolen
The 5,000-sq.m. Artists' Haven at Rizal Park in Ermita, Manila is, as its name suggests, where artists are given space to work peacefully and surrounded with works of art. Wikimapia (Commons)