Familiar Face

The small brown unidentified parcel that the postman delivered to Manhattan's Metropolitan Museum was carelessly wrapped and uninsured. When the wrinkled wrappings were removed, museum officials stared in wonder. The face painted on the old, 11 1/2 by 8 3/8 in. wooden panel was familiar, but it had not been around for a long time.

The painting, a 14th Century Sienese tempera of Saint Thomas the Apostle, believed the work of Simone Martini and valued at $3,000 to $5,000, had disappeared from the Museum's wall almost five years ago (TIME, April 3, 1944). The young saint in his fancy gold halo and blue-green cloak looked as serene as ever, though the panel had broken in two and a few flakes of paint had fallen off.

Who had had Saint Thomas out for the last five years? Museum officials had little hope of ever finding out. But of one thing they were certain. Whether or not conscience played a part in the return of the painting, the thief had been in possession of a minor treasure that was not negotiable: the world art market had been alerted to watch out for Saint Thomas, and it could not have been sold without almost certain arrest.

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