Eight years after the theft of 10 rare artefacts connected to Napoleon Bonaparte from a museum on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, one is going to be returned after an art dealer stumbled across the piece online.
Director of Belle Epoque Fine Art, Leigh Capel, was looking for portraits to display in his Sydney gallery when he found an interesting piece on eBay in September 2021.
"I don't usually buy miniatures, but it was of such high quality and of the age that it would have been painted during Napoleon's lifetime," he told Virginia Trioli on ABC Radio Melbourne.
After buying the piece for "a bargain" at around $250, Mr Capel — who is an expert in fine art — continued his research into its provenance.
He now believes he has the portrait miniature of Josephine Bonaparte in her coronation jewels that was one of a pair stolen from The Briars historic homestead in Mount Martha in 2014.
The stolen artefacts included miniature portraits of Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte, a lock of Napoleon's hair, and a gold ring.
"I come across artworks that have been misattributed or they've lost their stories or their labels, and that's part of the fun of my job [to track the stories down]. I feel a little bit like Indiana Jones.
"This was the first time I'd come across an artwork that was stolen from a museum."
When Mr Capel contacted the Mornington Peninsula Gallery they were "just as shocked" as he was.
"They'd pretty much put it as a cold case," he said.
"Now I have the opportunity to bring joy back to that community."
Mr Capel is currently in Melbourne and plans to return the piece to the Mornington Peninsula Shire (MPS) in the next few days.
Hopes other items can be returned
MPS collections curator Narelle Russo said, while they could not be "100 per cent sure" it was the genuine artefact until they were able to inspect the portrait, from the pictures "it very much appears to be the right one".
"The Briars homestead is supported by an amazing team of volunteer guides. They were particularly devastated when the works were stolen, so to have one of them back will mean a lot to them," she said.
Ms Russo said she hoped the return of the Josephine miniature might lead to the discovery of more of the stolen works.
"Still, just to have one work back is fantastic," she said.
"We didn't expect to see any of them again."
Those with information about any of the other nine stolen items can contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
Victoria Police were contacted for comment.
