Thai police seeking stolen Misiem Yipintsoi sculpture

[webfact]

Police seeking stolen Misiem Yipintsoi sculpture
Phatarawadee Phataranawik
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- MISIEM Yipintsoi's last unfinished sculpture - Coy Girl (1988) - has gone missing from the private Misiem's Sculpture Museum in Nakhon Pathom province.

"It was stolen on December 26. Displayed at the garden along with dozens of sculptures, it's one of the most important masterpieces. It's priceless as it was the last piece my grandmother made in 1988 at her Bangkok studio," Klaomas Yipintsoi told The Nation yesterday.

"After she finished producing each piece, she always destroyed the moulds," said Klaomas, who graduated in museology in New York.

Made from plasticine, the sculpture portrays a girl in pigtails sitting on her knees without hands. To preserve the masterpiece, Klaomas sent it to a foundry to be cast in bronze.

It stands 1.2-metre high and weighs about 500 kilograms.

A year after the artist passed away in 1988, Klaomas displayed the sculptures and painting collection at the museum and opened it to the public by appointment.

Pol Colonel Chatchai Klaiklueng, superintendent of Samphan Police said: "We're investigating the case. As the sculpture is quite big and very heavy, we think there are more than two thieves. As it's a private museum, we think the thieves may be close to its custodians.

"Now our men are searching for the stolen sculpture at many antique shops and foundries in the province. We're also studying art works by interviewing some art experts."

Chatchai will call a meeting of investigation teams this afternoon for an update.

Klaomas used social media to spread the news on the Misiem Yipintsoi Facebook page. She also alerted immigration police to prevent the treasured piece from being smuggled out.

Misiem starting painting when she was 42 out of personal interest. She took her first painting lessons in 1948 with Monet Satomi, a Japanese cultural attache to Thailand in the post-WWII years.

Even though she had no formal training, she was the first artist to win acclaim upon scooping a gold medal at the National Exhibition of Art for the third straight time in 1954.

Later she began devoting her time to sculpture, studying under Professor Silpa Bhirasri, the father of Thai modern art.

Her works can be found in museums, galleries and private collections all over the world.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-seeking-stolen-Misiem-Yipintsoi-sculpture-30251374.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-07

[BSJ]

"It's priceless as it was the last piece my grandmother made in 1988 at her Bangkok studio," Klaomas Yipintsoi told The Nation yesterday." But to somchai down on his luck it 500kg of bronze to take to the recycle centre.

In trying to work out the scrap value I came across this: 'Bronze is a mixture of copper and tin so to work out the value of a kilogram of bronze, it is essential to first ascertain the value of both a kilogram of copper and a kilogram of tin.

A kilogram of copper sold at scrap merchants will generally sell for around $8, while a kilogram of tin will sell for $18. If we bear in mind that copper and tin are used to make bronze, we now need to see what percentage of bronze is copper and what percentage of it is tin. To make 10 pounds of bronze, 4 pounds of tin are mixed with 6 pounds of copper. 6pounds of copper is equivalent to 2.7 kilograms, and 4 pounds of tin is equivalent to 1.8 kilograms.
2.7 kilograms of copper at $8 per kilogram, makes the copper element of the bronze worth $21.60. The tin element of 1.8 kilograms at $18 per kilogram is valued at $32.40. Adding $32.40 and $21.60 together, means that 4.5 kg of bronze is valued at $54, so a single kilogram would be worth $12.

Bronze is a hard and brittle alloy, which is not at all magnetic. It is still less brittle than iron, and can be completely destroyed if copper chlorides are formed as it develops 'bronze disease'. '

So in dollar terms the value would be around $6000, give or take some.

[noitom]

A Thai "masterpiece." Who classifies Thai art as a "masterpiece?" Thai masterpieces in the global art world are few and far between. Is any one actually aware of any?

[thesetat2013]

It was stolen from the museum and weighs 500 kilo? Not an easy task to just walk away with this single handed. I'm sure if they investigate they will find workers have taken it. Maybe a group of Burmy men heheee!

[Manbing]

Did anyone check the house of the local police chief?

That's the logical place to start.

[Manbing]

Too soon?

Edited January 7, 2015 by Manbing

[Commerce]

Michaelangelo eat your heart out. Obviously she couldn't model hands very well.

All jokes aside, her paintings were actually very good - almost Van Goghesque:

http://www.yipintsoi.com/misiem/home.htm

Edited January 7, 2015 by Commerce

[Bluespunk]

"Made from plasticine"

Really? Plasticine?

Is that usual?

[Commerce]

"Made from plasticine"

Really? Plasticine?

Is that usual?

I clocked that too. Very unusual - and a huge amount of plasticine needed to create that monster! W.H.Smith would be constantly out of stock!

Edited January 7, 2015 by Commerce

[zaZa9]

She was best advised to stick to painting...

[seajae]

plasticine is a mix of flour, salt and water basically so she probably made it herself, as for the statue I think someone would have to be desperate to steal it, sorry but it is not really that good and needed a lot of finishing work, the top half of the body and the face are pretty bad

[Commerce]

plasticine is a mix of flour, salt and water basically so she probably made it herself, as for the statue I think someone would have to be desperate to steal it, sorry but it is not really that good and needed a lot of finishing work, the top half of the body and the face are pretty bad

Agreed wholeheartedly. I like the feet and the knees and the pose, but the upper torso is shapeless. I believe it was stolen for financial benefit of the casting materials, not the artwork itself. I must re-iterate, her painting was indeed excellent!

[Prbkk]

...unusually hideous...

[mike324]

plasticine is a mix of flour, salt and water basically so she probably made it herself, as for the statue I think someone would have to be desperate to steal it, sorry but it is not really that good and needed a lot of finishing work, the top half of the body and the face are pretty bad

Agreed wholeheartedly. I like the feet and the knees and the pose, but the upper torso is shapeless. I believe it was stolen for financial benefit of the casting materials, not the artwork itself. I must re-iterate, her painting was indeed excellent!

if people read carefully, it was an unfinished piece, the grand daughter sent her grandmothers unfinished clay model to get casted so it would be a permanent piece.