Bring that, bach!
A thief stole a rare 18th century violin that he said was worth more than $ 700,000 in California – and he may not even know it, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The 1710 curly maple instrument and alpine spruce – built by Hieronymus Amati II, one of the most famous violin makers in history – was inside the car of art dealer Rowland Weinstein, who was stolen from his LA home on December 8 , according to the report.
The art dealer said he was moving the violin from an earlier location that he felt was not safe enough when he accidentally left his white Tesla unlocked momentarily while entering his home. When he returned from inside, the car and the precious good were gone.
An FBI spokeswoman, Laura Eimiller, told the newspaper that the agency has no clue about the case.
“According to the LAPD, a car thief is believed to have been in the area,” said Eimiller. “It is possible that the person who stole it does not know the value and has discovered it [later] and you can try to pawn it or sell it abroad. Therefore, it is essential to take the information to the public so that someone who has received it or is offered it can identify it and return it to its rightful owner. “
Weinstein is offering a $ 25,000 reward for information that leads to a safe return of the violin.
“I am responsible for a piece of history and that piece of history has eluded me,” Weinstein told the channel. “It is so fragile. My biggest fear is that someone who doesn’t know what they have 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 instrument’s value would likely rise to $ 700,000 – $ 900,000 today, according to the LA Times.
The gallery owner told the newspaper that he does not play the violin, but allows musician and professional friends to play the 310-year-old instrument, which is in great condition.
“I feel extremely close to that because it is a part of the story that has touched so many lives. Not just the lives of people who have been lucky enough to play it, but of those who have listened to it for over 300 years, ”said Weinstein.
Weinstein has been the target of thieves before.
In 2011, a pencil drawing by Pablo Picasso from 1965, “Tête de Femme”, was stolen from his gallery in San Francisco by a Hoboken man who casually left the gallery with art under a newspaper. The suspect was later arrested and the art was recovered.
Experts say there are reasons for optimism in this case too.
“This does not appear to be a planned theft, it appears to be a crime of opportunity based on the facts, so it is still potentially in Los Angeles, possibly at someone’s home,” Berkeley law lecturer and violin maker told the newspaper Carla Shapreau. .
“When a theft is planned, there is usually a customer for it. When someone sees an unlocked car, they are more likely to try to pass [an item found inside] locally. But it would be difficult to transfer this into the flow of trade, especially if it is well publicized. ”