Bring him bach!
A thief stole a rare 18th-century violin that is said to be worth more than $ 700,000 in California – and may not even know it, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The 1710 Alpine maple and spruce instrument – built by Hieronymus Amati II, one of the most famous violin makers in history – was in the car of art dealer Rowland Weinstein, which was stolen from his LA residence on December 8, according to report.
The art dealer said he was moving the violin from a previous location that he considered unsafe when he accidentally left the white Tesla unlocked for the moment as he entered his home. When he returned from inside, the car and the precious possession were gone.
An FBI spokeswoman, Laura Eimiller, told the newspaper that the agency had no clues in this case.
“According to the LAPD, it is believed that a car thief was in the area,” Eimiller said. “It is possible that the person who stole it did not know the value and discovered it [later] and may try to pawn it or sell it abroad. So, it is essential to provide the information to the public, so that, hopefully, someone who has received or is offered it can identify it and return it to the rightful owner ”.
Weinstein offers a $ 25,000 reward for information that leads to the safe return of the violin.
“I’m responsible for a piece of history and that piece of history escaped me,” Weinstein told reporters. “She is OK. My biggest fear is that someone who doesn’t know what he has will put it in the wrong environment and it will be damaged or destroyed. “
Weinstein bought the violin in October 2013 for $ 507,436 from the online auction house Tarisio. The auction house director says the value of the instrument would probably be estimated at $ 700,000 – $ 900,000 today, according to the LA Times.
The owner of the gallery told the newspaper that he does not play the violin, but allows his friends and professional musicians to play the 310-year-old instrument, which is in excellent condition.
“I feel extremely close to him, because he is a part of history that has touched so many lives. Not only the lives of the people who were lucky enough to play it, but also of those who have heard it for over 300 years “, Weinstein would have said.
Weinstein was also targeted by thieves.
In 2011, a 1965 Pablo Picasso pencil drawing, “Tête de Femme,” was stolen from his San Francisco gallery by a Hoboken man who came out of the gallery with his eyes open, with art hidden under a newspaper. The suspect was later arrested and the art was recovered.
Experts say there is reason to be optimistic in this case as well.
“This doesn’t look like a planned theft, it looks like a crime of opportunity based on facts, so it’s possible to still be in Los Angeles, possibly in someone’s house,” Carla Shapreau, a reader and producer of Berkeley Law violin.
“When a theft is planned, there is often a customer for it. When someone sees an unlocked car, they are more likely to try to pass [an item found inside] local. But it would be difficult to transfer this to the trade flow, especially if it is well publicized. ”