A few years went by, and there were no leads about who took the precious salt and pepper holder. In October 2005, however, authorities received a text message from an anonymous sender demanding 5 million euros in exchange for the Saliera, per Beyond Arts. The sender also threatened to melt the artwork if the demand was not met. Authorities were able to trace where the phone used to send the message was purchased, and they were able to access a surveillance video of the person buying the phone. Footage from the video was released to the public, and soon the thief turned himself in.
It was later revealed that the Saliera had been recently buried in the woods. As reported by Reuters, the Saliera was recovered and returned back to the museum in 2006 where it was again put back on its display. It is said to be the most valuable piece in the museum’s collection, as it is the only authenticated gold artwork by Benvenuto Cellini.
