A rare antique Stradivarius violin lost for three years has been found by British police. The violin was stolen in 2010 from a railway café in Euston Station in London. The violin belongs to Min-Jin Kym, who was born in Korea and is a talented violinist.
The Stradivarius violin was crafted in 1696 and has been part of Min-Jin’s life since her teenage years. It was stolen while she was eating lunch in the café, along with two bows that are also valuable. The value of the antique violin is around $1.8 million (£1.2 million) and Min-Jin is extremely happy that it has been returned to her. According to police, the antique was discovered in England, although no details of the theft have been provided. In 2011, three people received a jail sentence in connection to the incident. Min-Jin said:
“The loss of the instrument, and the acute responsibility I felt, was at the back of my mind at every moment of the day. I’d played the instrument since I was a teenager, so it’d been a huge part of my identity for many years.”
Police have stated that the instrument was recovered with very little damage. Stolen antiques can be a problem for collectors of items like musical instruments, jewellery and antique furniture. Experts recommend that people buy from a reputable dealer who can provide details of the history of a fine piece, including furniture like antique chests. Min-Jin is now elated following the return of her violin.