Precious "La Saliera" sculpture recovered in Austria 

VIENNA - "La Saliera," a precious sculpture stolen in 2003 in Vienna and
worth over 50 million euros (60 million dollars), was recovered Saturday by
police, ending a three-year investigation into the greatest art theft in
Austrian history, an interior ministry spokesman said. 

"It is the 'Saliera'," spokesman Johannes Rauch confirmed. 

Police found the 16th-century gold-and-enamel sculpture, representing the
goddess of agriculture Ceres and the god of the sea Neptune, in a box buried
in a forest near the northern town of Zwettl, the Austria Press Agency
reported. 

"Experts confirmed to the interior minister the authenticity of the art
piece found this afternoon in a box in the Waldviertel," Rauch said. 

A man was being held by police in connection with the theft, he added. 

The man apparently turned himself in after investigators released a picture
of one of the suspects Friday and friends recognised him. 

The suspect led police to the sculpture, which he said he had buried
himself, ORF television reported. 

Saturday's recovery ended a three-year saga which began with an
extraordinary theft in May 2003. 

A thief broke into Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum by smashing a window
after using scaffolding to reach the first floor gallery, but guards ignored
the alarm, thinking it was a false alert and the sculpture was found missing
only four hours later by cleaning staff. 

Friday, investigators revealed they received a piece of the valuable
salt-holder and a 10 million-euro ransom demand last October. Contact was
established through a newspaper ad and the sculpture's removable Neptune
trident was found hidden in a public park. 

Police said they then took part in a game of cat and mouse, following a
phone call on November 7, with the blackmailer scattering text messages and
notes around the Austrian capital. 

The caller eventually ended the chase that evening but not before police
were able to take a picture of a suspect, which led to Saturday's find. 

"La Saliera," created by the Florentine goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto
Cellini for King Francois I of France, is seen as the "Mona Lisa of
sculpture." 

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