As in most situations when couples separate, Margaret "Ritchie" Scaife wants her stuff.

In her case, the wife of billionaire newspaper publisher Richard Mellon Scaife's stuff amounts to 414 items worth nearly $11.4 million, not to mention a yellow Labrador retriever named Beauregard deemed "invaluable."

Mrs. Scaife, who moved out of the couple's Shadyside home last year and has a legal separation agreement with the publisher of the Greensburg-based Tribune-Review newspaper, filed a lawsuit on Monday. She seeks to reclaim what she says were personal items she had before the couple married more than 10 years ago or gifts she received since then.

The items include a collection of paintings, antique porcelain and silver items that would be the envy of many museums.

The items Mrs. Scaife would like to have returned provide a glimpse of a lifestyle few could match. The average value of the 414 items is more than $27,000.

The list includes 29 paintings with a combined minimum value of $6.65 million.

The most expensive painting is by Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte known as "Man Wth Derby Hat," valued at more than $1 million. There are also three paintings by noted American John LaFarge, three by New England impressionist and landscape artist Gertrude Fiske, and two by American impressionist Charles C. Curran.

Other than the paintings, the most expensive individual items are "a rare Biedermier carved, inlaid, ebonized and parcel-gilted lady's sewing table" from the early 19th century and a table "in the style of John Linnell, circa 1765." Each are valued at $200,000.

An 1889 Washington Agutus Roebling silver-gilt dinner service, including 28 butter dishes and 11 meat dishes, is valued at $486,400.

Overall, the antiques include enough plates to use a different one every day of the year, dozens of candlesticks, and vases worth considerably more than the long-stemmed roses they might hold. For example, a pair of 9 3/4-inch English porcelain potpourri vases from the mid-18th century are valued at $10,000.

Mrs. Scaife's attorney, William Pietragallo II, said he filed the lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court in advance of a divorce proceeding to get her items back as soon as possible.

"She needs to get these things back to restore her living quarters so she can get on with her life," he said. "It's regrettable we need to resort to the courts to accomplish this."

As for Beauregard?

Mrs. Scaife misses the dog so much she got into a scrape with three of her husband's employees in April, when she saw them with the dog on the street in Shadyside and tried to retrieve him. Criminal charges have been filed, but no hearing has been scheduled.

Mr. Pietragallo said he asked the court to "do what we think is the right thing" and give the dog to Mrs. Scaife so he can be with the two other dogs.

No court hearing has been set on the lawsuit.