A bronze figure of the US first lady was chopped off at the ankles and stolen

A statue of US First Lady Melania Trump, erected near her hometown of Sevnica in Slovenia, has been vandalized and stolen, prompting a police investigation.

Photos show that the statue was largely cut away, with only the feet and ankles remaining on the tree stump where it was mounted. Slovenian police confirmed to the media that they are treating the incident, which occurred on May 13, as a case of theft and have launched a formal inquiry.

The life-sized bronze figure, which was located in a field, succeeded an earlier wooden version that was set on fire a year after its installation in 2019. The bronze replacement, unveiled in 2020, had the same creators - American conceptual artist Brad Downey and local artist Ales Zupevc.

A bronze replica depicting US First Lady Melania Trump is seen after its unveiling in a field near the town of Sevnica on September 15, 2020.

Ales Beno / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The wooden statue had received mixed reactions from residents. Carved with a chainsaw from a poplar tree trunk, it featured Melania wearing a powder-blue painted dress and heels, apparently referencing the cashmere outfit she wore to her husband's inauguration in 2017.

The artwork was destroyed on July 4, 2020, coinciding with Independence Day in the US.

Wooden life-size statue of Melania Trump, which was set on fire on July 4th in Rono, a village neighbouring Sevnica.

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US President Donald Trump walks with First Lady Melania Trump after being sworn in at the 58th Presidential Inauguration January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

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The statue became a local tourist curiosity in Sevnica, a small town on the Sava River in eastern Slovenia with a population of around 5,000. The location gained international attention after Melania Trump became US first lady.

She spent her early years in Sevnica before embarking on a modeling career that took her to the US in 1996. In the years since, the town has reportedly introduced a range of Melania-themed products to celebrate its most well-known former resident.

"My feeling is that it has something to do with the new election [of Donald Trump], but who knows, right?" Downey told AFP, commenting on the latest incident. He described the missing statue as an "anti-monument" and "anti-propaganda."

(RT.com)