On the grape vine: A stolen on the retirement fund

Last month, a leading art auction house hit a rough patch with an international law enforcement agency over a few Indian stone sculptures that were on auction. According to the US agency, they were stolen goods, but the British Indian collector in question said it was part of his lifelong collection of Indian art and antiques, bought from respectable art dealers in London and China. Needless to say, the collector is in shock. To rub salt on the wound, the sale was going to add to the gentleman’s retirement fund.

Now word is that he has retired to an island country and gone incommunicado. It seems that the Indian-born connoisseur doesn’t want to talk about it. He just wants to cut his losses and move on.