Search on for stolen masterpieces

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The FBI are offering a $200,000 reward for the recovery of 12 "world class" artworks that were stolen from an elderly couple's home in the US.

Paintings by Marc Chagall and Emil Nolde are among the missing items, with one worth as much as $4m (£2.27m).

The theft took place at the house in California's San Fernando valley on 23 August, and police hope the reward will prevent them from being sold on.

Every work is "museum calibre", a Los Angeles art expert said.

No arrests

Richard Rice of the Gallerie Michael added there was hope that the valuable pieces would be returned.

"If you look at the last 10 years, a lot of the art that has been stolen that is this important has been returned to the owners because it is so difficult to resell," he said.

Marc Chagall's Peasants has also gone missingMr Rice added that the most valuable piece was Kees van Dongen's 1933 oil portrait of a woman wearing a hat, entitled Alicia Alanova.

Los Angeles police said the theft took place when the couple's maid left a door unlocked while she went on a shopping trip.

The paintings, which had disappeared by the time the maid returned, were kept in a different part of the house to where the pair were sleeping at the time.

The maid and various domestic helpers have been interviewed, but no arrests have been made, said the LAPD's Detective Donald Hrycyk.

"Everybody is a suspect," he added. "We are looking into the reasonableness of the maid's statement, and we are looking at the other people who have had access to the house."

The paintings were insured by the unidentified couple, who made their fortune in property.