[MSN] 'Amati' violin stolen off architect's family

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'Amati' violin stolen off architect's family

02/14/2006
The Asahi Shimbun

A 40-million-yen 17th-century Italian violin owned by Takiko Omura, the
violinist widow of renowned Japanese architect Junzo Yoshimura, has been
stolen, the family told The Asahi Shimbun.

The violin, manufactured by the acclaimed Nicolo Amati (1596-1684), and
three bows were stolen from the home of the couple's eldest daughter in
Tokyo last September.

"I have been using the instrument for 50 years, and it is in good
condition," said Omura, 89. "The violin is filled with lots of our memories.
I feel as if I lost a friend."

According to police investigations, the 58-year-old daughter had not been at
home since the end of August. She returned home on the evening of Sep. 28 to
find the windows wrenched open.

Only the violin and the three bows were missing. The violin was kept in a
locked cabinet, but the lock had been forced.

The instrument was made by Nicolo Amati in 1675, and its worth is now
estimated at more than 40 million yen.

Amati is one of the world's most eminent violin manufacturers, on par with
Antonio Stradivari, who made "Stradivarius" violins.

Omura and Yoshimura purchased the Amati violin in the United States in 1954.

Two of the three bows were for cellos, and manufactured by Dominique
Peccatte (1810-1874), a leading French bow manufacturer. The total value of
the two bows is estimated at more than 10 million yen.

Worried the instruments could have been taken out of the country, the
Metropolitan Police Department has put the unknown thief on the suspects
list of the International Criminal Police Organization
(Interpol).(IHT/Asahi: February 14,2006) 

http://www.asahi.com/