Grieving siblings, who recently lost their elderly mother, were dealt a double blow, when they realised, shortly after her passing, that her two large Chinese silk paintings, dating back to the 1800s, had allegedly been stolen.
The family is now offering the full value of the two paintings, one with a gold and the other a black frame, as a reward for the return of the paintings and promises to treat the matter confidentially.
Jane du Toit, from Nelson Mandela Bay, said that after her 88-year-old mother, Agnes Bean, died in February this year and when her other children came home for the funeral, they realised that several other items, including Bean’s jewellery, scarves, kitchenware and wall pictures, were missing, as they packed up her items.
“My mom had always been a fiercely proud woman of her Scottish roots and happy to be surrounded by wonderful memories in her own home. I had locked up some of the silver antiques and left her with only one of her rings. I also locked up jewellery over a certain value,” Du Toit explained.
She mentioned that although they were aware that three Chinese artworks had gone missing, the most heartbreaking of all were these two large Chinese silk paintings, left to Bean by her great-grandmother, who had been a missionary in China, and were supposed to be inherited by Du Toit’s older sister.
“They were part of a collection of four pictures showing the four seasons. They carried huge sentimental wealth and not huge value.
“We would be more than happy to pay their actual value to have them reunited with our family, so that they can continue to tell a story of our family history in the generations still to come,” Du Toit explained.
She added that her mother was a very generous person, with a quiet nature, who did a lot of charity work for children in need, in vulnerable homes.
“It’s naturally a very sad time when you lose a parent. I was so wrapped up in taking care of her daily needs that I did not pick it up. It was only when my siblings arrived and started asking questions that I realised what had happened. I think they’re devastated that it breaks the family chain of passing things down.”
Du Toit explained that in the last six months before Bean passed away, her health deteriorated and the family decided to employ a caring agency to provide her mother with care on a 24-hour basis.
“I honestly thought the carers were lovely individuals, fulfilling a role that is often unappreciated and vital to the community.
“My mother had no visitors or outings in 2020 nor was any work carried out in the house. I do believe that they know more than they are willing to admit or acknowledge, which is incredibly sad. This is not an attack on the carers as I do not know which person is responsible and there are many honest carers doing valuable work,” she said.
“Whoever removed these paintings, deliberately moved different pictures into their place so that there would be no noticeable gaps on the wall.
“Although an insurance claim and police report has been done, it cannot replace the vast and deep sentimental loss of items that have gone through countless generations.”
If anyone comes across paintings resembling the pictures provided, Du Toit can be contacted via email on jdt1966@gmail.com or by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to 081 461 8962.
