Haida artist Bill Reid, shown carving a sculpture in 1990, died in 1998. (Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)

About 10 gold pieces by late Haida native artist Bill Reid have been stolen from the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

UBC officials say a break-in occurred either late Friday or early Saturday. Police would not divulge any details except to say they would release more information on Monday.

The value of the stolen pieces is not known.

"It's Bill Reid's art. It's pretty much priceless," said UBC spokesman Scott Macrae. "For that stuff to go missing, it's really a terrible thing."

Macrae added that some Inca gold necklaces were also taken.

Jean Fahrni, a friend of Reid's, told The Province newspaper the works had "obviously been targeted."

"I don't know what those thieves can do with the art," said Fahrni, who says the items are too well-known to sell. "I have no idea where they would go."

Northwest Coast art consultant Doreen Jensen, who also knew Reid, says she's shocked by the brazen robbery because there was "really good security" around the gold pieces.

Reid is considered one of Canada's most important artists of the 20th century. Four of his works are used on the Canadian $20 bill.

The Victoria-born artist was trained as a goldsmith and worked in sculpture, carvings and jewelry — all reflecting traditional Northwest Coast native culture. Reid's father was Scottish-German and his mother was Haida.

In his 20s, Reid began a career as a radio announcer and eventually ended up at the CBC in Toronto in 1948, where he discovered his jewelry-making skills while taking a college course.

In 1951, upon returning to Vancouver, Reid would explore and expand his jewelry-making business while continuing to work for the CBC. It would be the start of an acclaimed career as a world-renowned artist.

Reid died in 1998.