A JAPANESE bronze incense burner worth between £50,000 to £60,000 has been stolen from an auction house in Alton.

The burglary occurred at Hannam’s Auctioneers on Selborne Road at around 10.15pm on Monday, October 16.

It has been reported that two people were seen fleeing the scene in a blue car.

Hampshire Chronicle: The stolen incense burnerThe stolen incense burner (Image: Hannam's Auctioneers)The incense burner has been identified as being the Hawk On Stand Koro by Maruki, which was consigned to Hannam’s for auction.

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A spokesperson for the auction house said: “The underside of the tail feathers is signed Mori Yukiasu within a silver seal, accompanied by the factory seal of the Maruki company. The upper feathers on the bronze are formed as a pierced copper lid over a silver-lined interior for burning incense.

“Hannam's is offering a £5,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the hawk.”

Hampshire Chronicle: A reward of £5,000 is being offered for information that can lead to the retrieval of the incense burnerA reward of £5,000 is being offered for information that can lead to the retrieval of the incense burner (Image: Hannam's Auctioneers)Hampshire Police are currently investigating the burglary.

A police spokesperson said: “Have you seen an item matching this description since it was stolen? Maybe you have CCTV or dashcam footage from the area?

“Anyone with information is asked to contact us on 101 with reference 44230424509. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”