Police are seeking information on the whereabouts of a C F Goldie painting depicting a rangatira, taken from a Hamilton East property

The painting, titled Sleep 'tis a Gentle Thing, which could be worth around a million dollars, was reported stolen over the Christmas-New Year period.

Head of Art at Webb's auction house, Charles Ninow says the people who have taken the painting will have trouble selling it.

He says if the owner wanted to sell, there would be a market for it, but not if it's being sold from an unknown origin.