Manor House Museum's stolen goods recovered

Ten of the eleven valuable Asian ceramic antiques recently stolen from Manor House, a museum outside Cape Town, have been recovered by police from a neighbouring farm.

The 18th- and 19th-century artefacts, which were reported by local media to be worth up to €5 million, include a Chinese hot water urn and plates, and Japanese beaker vases.

Museum staff noticed the items missing when they opened the museum on 21 May after the weekend. It is not yet known how the burglars gained entry into the house, which is part of the Iziko Museum network.

Manor House is located on the historic Groot Constantia estate, the oldest wine farm in South Africa. Established by Dutchman Simon van der Stel in 1685, the farm is located on the Cape Peninsula. In the 1790s the Manor House was rebuilt in its existing form.

The cultural history museum, which remains closed until further notice, exhibits artefacts as well as a selection of antique Cape furniture donated by the late Alfred A. de Pass in 1927.