“Such a tragic loss.”
Those were the only words Art Deco dealer Muir Hewitt could summon when describing the profound shock he experienced over the theft of some 55 pieces from his inventory †most of them rare Clarice Cliff pieces †stolen in an obviously planned break-in in the early morning hours of July 26. Representing a collection built over a lifetime †25 years in the trade †the theft of colorful and distinctive Clarice Cliff ceramics by thieves from Hewitt’s shop in the Redbrick Mill, a renovated textile factory here, has “taken the heart out of me,” said Hewitt.
Ironically, added the Art Deco dealer, he had plied his trade for most of his career from a less upscale location, and had only been operating on the top floor of the state-of-the-art Redbrick Mill since July 2007. “Unfortunately, the building’s security is not state-of-the-art,” he said.
Looking back, Hewitt said that the noticeably less well-heeled men wearing muscle T-shirts seen eying his stock a couple of weeks before the break-in may have been the thieves who were targeting his business. No other businesses within the building were broken into.
On the morning of July 25 he entered his shop, which is a top floor, corner unit of the building, and, walking around to his desk, noticed broken pieces of pottery on the floor. “I immediately thought, ‘Oh my, the cleaners have had an accident.'” But then he saw that his glass cases were wide open and largely empty, except for a large Clarice Cliff piece, a table centerpiece that strangely had been left behind. “I believe they may have been in a hurry, afraid that they were going to be caught,” he said.
In addition to the Clarice Cliff items, the thieves also made off with three Rene Lalique bowls, an Etling bowl and bronze sculptures. The combined retail value of the stolen items approaches $150,000, according to Hewitt.
Police believe the thieves hid themselves in the mill building late at night, gained access to Hewitt’s shop and then escaped through the building’s fire exit.
Hewitt said he is most bereft over the loss of a unique piece of Clarice Cliff pottery, the Coral Firs Yo Yo vase and rare Summerhouse conical tea for two tea set by Cliff, both of which were shown in the exhibition “Age of Jazz” at the Liverpool Walker Art Gallery in 2005. “I, of course, want to get them all back,” he said of the stolen pieces, “but I would rather have the Yo Yo vase back than the insurance money.”
West Yorkshire police are investigating the theft. Anyone having information about any of the items stolen should contact Seth Robinson of the West Yorkshire Police at +44 845 6060 606 or seth.robinson@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. The incident’s reference number is 1308/314366.
