A Midlands woolgrower is offering $15,000 for the return of a historic trophy stolen from a Ross museum last month.
The Ermenegildo Zegna Perpetual Trophy was taken from the Tasmanian Wool Centre overnight on December 5.
Julian von Bibra, whose family has long ties to the centre, said the trophy’s importance to the wool industry could not be overstated.
He described it as an irreplaceable piece of the industry’s history.
The trophy had been on loan from the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery since 2013.
The award was established in 1963 by Italian luxury fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna, which regularly paid record prices for Tasmanian superfine Merino wool.
It was presented annually at the Midland Agricultural Association Show in Campbell Town until 2008.
The sculpture was crafted by renowned Tasmanian artist Stephen Walker, who died in 2014.
It features a 24-carat gold Merino sheep set within a silver and platinum weaving loom, mounted on a serpentine base.
Police say a man wearing a hoodie, light trousers and black gloves smashed open the display case around midnight.
CCTV footage shows he fled in a white van.
Staff believe the thief targeted the trophy for its precious metals, completing the grab in roughly three minutes.
Anyone with information on the theft can contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers Tasmania anonymously.
