$1,000 reward to nail thieves of California hammer sculpture

HEALDSBURG, Calif. – The artist who created an 800-pound (363 kilograms) sculpture of a hammer that was stolen from a Northern California community centre is offering a $1,000 reward to nail the thieves.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported Tuesday that Healdsburg artist Doug Unkrey made the offer. He made the 800-pound ball-peen hammer out of mixed metals. It has a long redwood handle and measures 21 feet (6 metres) long and the head is 6 feet (2 metres) tall.

The piece, valued at $15,000, was loaned by the artist about a year ago to the Healdsburg Community Center. It vanished from the lawn sometime Oct. 5 or Oct. 6.

Unkrey says it would have required about eight people or a flatbed trailer with a winch to carry off his work.

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Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com