Draco the Dragon on the roof of the Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson. Photo: Supplied / Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson
A West Auckland art centre is appealing for the return of a dragon sculpture stolen from its roof over the weekend.
The sculpture, known as Draco the Dragon, was taken from roof of the Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson in Auckland some time last weekend, though it's not known when.
Sculptor Julie Moselen normally works in abstract form sculpture, loosely inspired by the cycles of nature, but made the dragon to commemorate the Chinese Zodiac year this year.
She said it was not an easy sculpture to take from atop the old wine vat it sat on, near the carpark of the arts centre.
"It's pretty heavy," Moselen said.
"It would have needed two people to get it off the top of the vat, it was bolted and glued down. They would have needed quite a high ladder to get up there, so they've gone to quite some effort."
The dragon at the time it was being installed. Photo: Supplied / Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson
Moselen said the dragon was not of particularly high monetary value.
"It did have 23 carat gold on it, not that I think anybody would have known that," she said.
"The Corten steel is not particularly valuable, the gold leaf isn't valuable in that you can't scrape it off and do anything with it.
"I think it's just that it looks quite pretty and someone's decided they want it in their garden."
Moselen said the theft of the dragon was upsetting.
"It's sad that we can't, as an art centre, have things on display for the community. It's actually the community that's suffering through it being taken by somebody who just wants it for themselves."
Corban Estate Arts Centre director Luana Walker said it took considerable effort to put the sculpture up to begin with.
"We had ladders and someone up on the top of the vats and actually had to pull him up with some quite substantial ropes," she said.
"There's no way you could actually do it by yourself."
Ropes and a ladder were needed to install the sculpture. Photo: Supplied / Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson
Walker said they were hoping for the safe return of the dragon, no questions asked.
"We know that times are really tough right now, so we thought, if someone has taken it, there's no questions asked, we just really want him back," she said.
"He's a work of art, he's part of Corban's, there's a lot of sentimental value attached to him and we really would like his return.
"If he turns up one day and he's popped down on the doorstep somewhere, that's all we're really interested in."
Police have been approached for comment.