Two armed thieves held up a Richmond art store and made off with a 16th-century Ming Dynasty painting worth roughly $150,000, police said yesterday.
The suspects — clad in yellow security jackets and ball caps — robbed Chinese Painting Canada Ltd. in Yaohan Mall on Saturday.
They made off with a piece of art believed to be by painter Lan Ying, said RCMP Cpl. Sherrdean Turley.
“At this time it is not known whether or not this is the original painting, however it has been passed down for many generations and is valued at approximately $150,000,” said Turley.
The thieves also stole two jade Buddha statues of unknown value and a Chinese calligraphy piece.
“The writing was also part of the family heritage and was written by Shi Kai Yuan, the first elected president of China,” Turley said. “The owner estimates the value to be approximately $50,000.”
The store did not want to comment.
Anyone with information is asked to call the RCMP or CrimeStoppers.
