US police are asking for help in recovering a rare violin worth 172,000 dollars that was left on board a bus by a groggy music student from Taiwan.

Philadelphia police say the instrument was left in an overhead locker on a Boston-to-Philadelphia Megabus.

Muchen Hsieh noticed she did not have the violin after getting picked up by the family hosting her visit to the Philadelphia area. She called the bus company but was told the instrument had not been found.

Hsieh says a Taiwanese culture foundation lent her the violin as she studies at the New England Conservatory in Boston. It was made in 1835 by Vincenzo Jorio in Naples.

Lt John Walker says the instrument can be returned to Philadelphia police, no questions asked.

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