It’s a rock ’n’ roll mystery — call it the case of the “Sticky Fingers!”

Mick Taylor, a former member of the Rolling Stones who played with the band from 1969 to 1974 and was later honored in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, was surprised to find out that a Les Paul guitar he had used on the band’s 1972 album “Exile on Main St.” had resurfaced at the Met recently.

The Stones’ French villa was infamously robbed when they were holed up there nearly 54 years ago.

According to a rock historian and Stones fan, an incident occurred at Villa Nellcôte in September 1971 where burglars stole nine of Keith Richards’ guitars, Bobby Keys’ saxophone, and Bill Wyman’s bass in broad daylight. The theft was allegedly orchestrated by drug dealers from Marseille who were seeking repayment from Richards.

Fast forward to May of this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art made a significant announcement regarding a generous donation of over 500 top-quality guitars from the golden era of American guitar craftsmanship. Among the collection was a 1959 sunburst Les Paul guitar famously used by Keith Richards during the Rolling Stones’ debut on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ in 1964, as well as instruments once owned by icons such as Roy Rogers, Mississippi John Hurt, and others.

Now Taylor’s business manager and partner, Marlies Damming, says that Richards sold that same Les Paul to Taylor.

Damming said via a statement: “There are numerous photos of Mick Taylor playing this Les Paul, as it was his main guitar until it disappeared. The interesting thing about these vintage Les Pauls (from the late 1950s), is that they are renowned for their flaming . . . which is unique, like a fingerprint.”

A source added, “Taylor says he never received compensation for the theft and is mystified as to how his property found its way into the Met’s collection.”

A rep for the Met did not immediately comment, and an adviser for Dirk Ziff, the collector who made the donation, did not get back to us.

Stay tuned! We need to ask Keef!