A handmade rug featuring a nude self-portrait of an artist was stolen this week from Oregon's Linfield College by an unknown thief, a report said.

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The McMinnville (Ore.) News-Register reported Tuesday that artist Tamera Brewer's unusual work, "the sexy sex: all nude revue rug one," vanished from the college's James F. Miller Fine Arts Center this week.

Gallery Director Cris Moss said he feels terrible about Monday's theft of the extremely personal artistic item.

"I'm just distraught about it," Moss said. "The fact is the artist trusted us with it. It's very personal."

Bremer was equally distraught about the latch-hook rug's disappearance, saying the curvaceous work of art took her a year to create.

"I don't understand why anyone would want to steal something like this," she said. "Whoever did it doesn't understand what they've done. It's my life's work."

Local police told the newspaper a college student may have taken the risque rug, as an erotic wall-hanging for their dorm room.