COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A bronze sculpture worth hundreds of dollars has been recovered from a scrap yard by police.

Columbus Division of Police Detective Jack Addington said he was contacted by a manager at Ace Iron and Metal Recycling in south Columbus.

“He was walking through and saw this laying in the brass bin, so he thought it was quite unusual,” Addington said. “It didn’t look to be scrap.”

The sculpture is a bronze piece weighing about ten pounds and measuring about 16 inches tall and eight inches wide. Addington said it was sculpted by artist Steven D. Lord and was called “Guardians of the World.”

Initially, he said, it held a crystal ball and sat on a wooden or marble base, judging by photos of the artwork online. Now, all that remains are bronze sculpted animals.

“There’s a shark on the bottom,” Addington said. “There’s a whale, a seal, three dolphins, an antelope, a gorilla, a lion, a tiger and the dreaded bear — oh my.”

Addington said the piece may have been worth $500 brand new, but that it likely netted about $10 at the scrap yard.

Police told NBC4 it’s possible this may have just been turned in for scrap because someone no longer wanted it. However, there’s also a chance it may have been stolen property.

If it’s stolen, Addington said, the person or people responsible could face charges of receiving stolen property, which is a first degree misdemeanor because of the object’s value.

Addington said if it was stolen, he wants to return it to its rightful owner. If it was just scrap, he said it will likely be returned to the scrap yard.

Addington also said the scrap yard gave him the name of the person who turned it in, but he has not yet spoken to that person.

Anyone with information about the sculpture is asked to call Columbus police at (614) 645-2328 or email Detective Addington at jaddington@columbuspolice.org.