Missing: 18th-century Italian Bass Worth 117,721 Pounds

An 18th-century Italian double bass valued at 117,721 pounds has been reported stolen by its owner, Brian Fountain, principal bassist of the São Paulo Opera House Orchestra. In a social media video, Fountain tearfully pleads for help in locating his instrument.

Fountain had left the bass with Barrie Kolstein and Manny Alvarez of Kolstein and Sons Music in Baldwin, NY, on a consignment agreement in April 2022. When he attempted to retrieve it in April 2024, he was told it had been sold but received no documentation. By May 2024, neither Kolstein nor Alvarez responded to his inquiries.

Fountain has declared the bass stolen to New York authorities, suspecting it was obtained under false pretenses. The instrument, made around 1790 in Italy by an unknown maker, features a six-piece spruce top, pearwood back, ebony fingerboard, and brass tuning gears.

"If you have this instrument, know you are playing stolen property with serious legal implications," warns Fountain.