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‘Lucky Sabletufts’ Stolen from Crystal Bridge Art Patron  SHARN—Two jade statuettes depicting sabletuft housecats were taken on Zul from Kant Manor in the Crystal Bridge district.
Owner Haras Kant said he planned to offer a reward for the statuettes’ return that “would stagger the imagination.” He further warned the thieves that the statuettes would be impossible to sell due to their notoriety among art collectors.
“Everyone art dealer from here to Korth knows that I’m the rightful owner. Whoever took my cats will find that they’ve taken something that will bring them only trouble,” Kant said.
The statues, known to art patrons as the “Lucky Sabletufts,” are made of a peculiar dark-green jade. They have large rubies for their eyes and diamond-studded claws.
The “lucky” appellation for the statuettes is at least 300 years old. In prewar Sharn, Hansa d’Orien frequently brought the statuettes with her to various casinos, claiming they brought her good fortune at the gaming tables.
The statuettes remained in House Orien hands until they were purchased by Tybalt ir’Rhannock in a private auction shortly after the start of the Last War. When Breland commissioned ir’Rhannock as a naval officer, he brought the Lucky Sabletufts with him to sea. His war galley, the Providential Order, went down with all hands during the Battle of Mannasher’s Point in 985. But ir’Rhannock’s footlocker containing the statuettes was recovered amid the flotsam after the battle.
The Lucky Sabletufts were thus the property of the Breland Navy until a war surplus auction last year. Kant purchased them and has prominently displayed them in private but well-attended art exhibits throughout the fall and winter.
Belen Yorgan, commander of the city watch’s Sword Point garrison, said that a thorough investigation of the theft was under way.
“I have every confidence that we’ll quickly apprehend the thieves and return the sabletufts to their rightful owner,” he said.
About the Author
David Noonan is a designer/developer for Wizards of the Coast. Before coming to Wizards, he was a daily newspaper reporter in Washington state. Apparently the city hall beat is good practice for an Eberron campaign.
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