Three Borders

Of the thousand or so violins Stradivarius created more than 250 years ago, 512 have survived. They have names and stories, and they are worth millions. Renowned violinist Roman Totenberg bought the Ames Stradivarius in 1943 for $15,000. He performed with it until it disappeared from his office in 1980. At the time, Totenberg said he felt as if he’d lost an arm. He suspected an aspiring violin student of the theft, but there wasn’t enough evidence for a warrant. Totenberg passed away in 2012 without ever seeing his beloved violin again. The fellow he’d accused taught private lessons and played in community orchestras before dying in Venice, California in 2011. This summer his widow took an old violin to a dealer for an appraisal. It was instantly recognized and returned to Totenberg’s daughters. Stradivaris are like that: tempting to steal but impossible to fence.