The following letter faxed to our office is from the former
President of the International Society of Violin and Bow Makers: Charles
Beare. Recently, he was quoted in the Strad Magazine of April 2005 as
saying:
"The Renaissance planning of the Cremonese fiddles means
you can recognize a great one as soon as it comes into the room."
His letter below shows that he possibly lost his eye sight in the
appraisal where he did not recognize a Cremonese masters work by stating
it was a John Lott (a famous English maker), instead of being Italian and Cremonese.
In the evaluation, the price differential would have been around 3
million dollars. This having been brought to his attention by the
"insight" of a convicted dealer, 25 years after his initial downgraded
appraisal.
(See also: "Money,
Power and Corruption" article)
