The watercolour painting of a Barbary ape was a precious gift. It was among the items belonging to Marie and her partner, Ted Allen, when they moved from their home at Boundary Rd to Ashburton in June this year.
The restored painting measures just short of 90cm by 70cm and was in a wood and gold trim frame.
The Barbary macaque, known as the Barbary ape, is native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar.
The painting has a handwritten inscription on the back in pencil saying: "Given by H.M. Queen Victoria on her 35th Birthday to Edwyn Temple, of the 55th Westmoreland Foot Regiment".
Captain Edwyn Temple, who lived from 1835-1921, was an avid artist who arrived in New Zealand in 1879 after serving with the 55th Regiment of Foot in India during the Mutiny and in the Crimea.
The Temple family then moved to Geraldine. Their descendants still live in the area.
Marie has filed a report with the police, who have made enquiries but so far they have had no luck.
Now Marie would like the community’s help. She asks people to keep an eye out for the piece so it can be returned.
Anyone with information should call the police on 105, quoting file number 221017/6604.
