Bring this bach!
A thief stole a rare 18th-century violin worth more than $ 700,000 in California – and he may not even know it, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The curly maple and alpine instrument of 1710 – built by Hieronymus Amati II, one of the most famous violin makers in history – was inside the car dealer Rowland Weinstein’s car, which was reportedly stolen from his LA home on December 8.
The art dealer said he was moving the violin from a previous location that he said was not safe enough when he accidentally unlocked his white Tesla instantly while entering his home. When he returned from inside, the car and the valuables were gone.
An FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told the newspaper the agency had no clues in the case.
“According to LAPD, there was apparently a car thief in the area,” Eimiller said. ‘It is possible that the person who stole it may not have known the value and discovered it [later] and can try to pawn or sell it overseas. It is therefore critical to disclose the information to the public so that anyone receiving or presenting it can hopefully identify it and return it to the rightful owner. ”
Weinstein is offering a $ 25,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the violin.
“I’m responsible for a piece of history and history has gotten away from me,” Weinstein said. “It’s so fragile. My biggest fear is that someone who does not know what he has will put it in the wrong environment and that it will be damaged or destroyed. ”
Weinstein bought the violin in October 2013 for $ 507,436 from the online auction house Tarisio. According to the director of the auction house, the instrument will probably be worth $ 700,000- $ 900,000 today, according to the LA Times.
The gallery owner told the magazine he does not play violin, but allows musicians and professionals to play the 310-year-old instrument, which is in excellent condition.
‘I feel very close to it, because it’s a part of history that has touched so many lives. “Not just the lives of people who were happy enough to play it, but those who have heard it for over 300 years,” Weinstein said.
Weinstein has been targeted by thieves before.
In 2011, a 1965 pencil drawing of Pablo Picasso, “Tête de Femme,” was stolen from his San Francisco gallery by a Hoboken man who casually walked out of the gallery with the art under a newspaper. The suspect was later arrested and the art was recovered.
Experts believe that there is reason to be optimistic in this case as well.
“It does not appear to be a planned theft, it appears to be a crime based on the facts. So it may still be in Los Angeles, possibly in someone’s house, ”Carla Shapreau, a lecturer and violin maker at Berkeley, told the newspaper.
‘When a theft is planned, there is often a customer for it. If someone sees a car unlocked, it is likely to pass [an item found inside] local. But it will be difficult to convey it in the trade stream, especially if it is well publicized. ”