Music lovers and insurance adjustors alike are surely breathing sighs of relief following the recovery of a valuable Stradivarius violin that has been recovered in Britain more than two years after it was stolen from a musician in London. BBC News reported that the violin, three centuries old and valued at £1.2 million (about $1.8 million), had been found following a 2010 incident in which it was stolen from the violinist Min-Jin Kym while she was at a sandwich shop in North London.
Ms. Kym told the BBC that the violin “had been the instrument I had been playing on since I was a teenager†and “a huge part of my identity for many years.†Its loss, she said, “was devastating,†but its recovery brought “an incredible feeling of elation.â€
“I’m still feeling the butterflies in my stomach,†she added.
The police told the BBC that the violin had been found in the Midlands, in central Britain, but would not offer further details because of an ongoing investigation. Though the violin was recovered with some minor damage, two of its bows, one valued at £62,000 (about $95,000) and another at over £5,000 (about $7,650) had not been found.
