CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Was it a fraternity prank? Or something more nefarious, like an art heist worthy of a James Bond investigation?

So far, nobody knows, but the investigation is on to find out just who hefted a 100-pound bronze statue from the Delta Chi fraternity house at Oregon State University through a window in the middle of the night, and then disappeared.

The nearly 3-feet tall statue of Vulcan, the god of fire and metal working, was the unofficial mascot of Delta Chi.

According to the Corvallis Police Department report, a fraternity member woke shortly after 2:30 a.m., when he heard someone open a door to the sleeping porch and call out "Hey guys!"

When he went downstairs, no one was there, but the statue was missing, and a window on the south side of the house was open.

Police responded to the scene and searched the area, believing it would be difficult for the thief or thieves to get far with such a heavy object, but they saw no one.

The statue was donated to the fraternity in October 1926, after by the family of a recent graduate and a member of the chapter, Charles Rosenkrans, who had died in an accident.

In 1945, the Rosenkrans family also established a scholarship fund that still exists and generates about $40,000 a year to help Delta Chi members complete their education.

According to Greek mythology, Vulcan married Venus, the goddess of love. His forge was under Mount Etna, the Sicilian volcano, where he made weapons for the gods.

He has been immortalized in many paintings and sculptures, including the world's largest cast-iron statue, which stands in Birmingham, Ala.

But the artist and provenance of the Delta Chi piece are unknown, although the house president estimated the value to be between $100,000 and $250,000.

Police have circulated a photo of the piece to artists and dealers in the region hoping for some information.