BATLEY, ENGLAND – Police in West Yorkshire, England are investigating a major theft of Clarice Cliff Art Deco pottery from an upscale retail establishment in the town of Batley. According to Detective Constable Sophie Lawrence of Dewsbury CID, the apparently premeditated theft of approximately 55 articles – mostly Clarice Cliff pottery, with the addition of three Lalique bowls, bronzes and an Etling bowl – occurred either late on the night of July 25 or in the early morning hours of July 26.

The items were taken from Muir Hewitt Art Deco Originals, a shop located on the top floor of Redbrick Mill, a stylishly refurbished four-story shopping complex at 218 Bradford Road in Batley. The stolen goods are valued at approximately $150,000.

Police say that, in what has become an all-too-familiar pattern, the thieves probably hid somewhere in the Redbrick Mill after the shops had closed for the night, made their entry into Muir Hewitt’s shop, then exited through a fire escape with the stolen articles.

Muir Hewitt’s Clarice Cliff collection was built over a 25-year period and contains several extremely rare and distinctive examples. One of the most valuable items stolen, a yo-yo vase in the Coral Firs pattern, is pictured here, along with other key pieces.

Clarice Cliff pottery is sought after by collectors worldwide. Enthusiasts tend to become part of a close-knit international community that keeps tabs on rare items appearing in the marketplace. It is highly unlikely that the more-unusual examples in the Muir Hewitt collection – like the Summerhouse tube vase or aforementioned yo-yo vase – could be offered for sale publicly without a sharp-eyed collector recognizing it and reporting it as a possibly “hot” item.

Anyone with information regarding the theft, or items that may have been taken in the theft, are asked to contact Detective Constable Sophie Lawrence of Dewsbury CID, England, at 44-1924-431085 or by email: sophie.lawrence@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. The crime reference number is 13080314366.

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