Japanese get Moore statue from Steinberg-Dietrich

Americans have witnessed Japanese firms purchase Rockefeller Plaza, Columbia Pictures, MCA, and yesterday, they got Moore. Henry Moore, a British sculptor, is the crafter of Draped Reclining Mother and Child, a work that has been prominently displayed in the entrance to Steinberg-Dietrich Hall since 1988. The work is owned by Jeffrey Loria, a "friend" of the Arthur Ross Gallery. For the last two years, Loria has loaned it to the University. But yesterday, several workers removed the sculpture and sent it on a trip to Japan, where it has been reportedly sold to a Japanese art gallery. Patricia Tompkins, the executive director of the James Goodman Gallery said yesterday the statue was sold to a Japanese gallery which may have intentions to sell Draped Reclining Mother and Child to a private investor also in Japan. "Right now the Japanese have been interested in Henry Moore works. They especially like figurative works," Tompkins said. She said she could not comment any further on the sale or the sculpture's destination. Assistant to the President Dilys Winegrad said Wednesday evening she had been told that the statue was leaving to go on tour in Japan and had not been informed of the sale. The statue is the personal property of Loria so the University has no involvement in matters regarding it's ownership. In its place, Loria substituted another Moore work from his personal collection. The new statue is named Reclining Figure Angles, according to Tompkins. Both statues have estimated values "in the millions of dollars" she said. The exact value has not been disclosed. Tompkins insisted that the University will not be dissappointed. "It's quite a beautiful sculpture," she said. "It's classic Henry Moore. People will see it and say, 'Aha, Henry Moore.' " The original bronze statue was removed today by Auer's Van Express of New York City. The van service specializes in shipping of artwork. "My company does a lot of sculpture moving," Auer's supervisor Jay Parson said. "This trucker knows how to handle Henry Moore," Tompkins added. Reclining Mother with Child weighs approximately 3500 pounds. Loria has loaned various statues to the University. "We are very thankful for his generosity," said Winegrad.

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