The Lady Blunt is a Stradivarius violin made in 1721 by the renowned Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari. [1] It is named after one of its first known owners, Lady Anne Blunt, the British co-founder of the Crabbet Arabian Stud.
The Lady Blunt is a Stradivarius violin made in 1721 by the renowned Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari. [1] It is named after one of its first known owners, Lady Anne Blunt, the British co-founder of the Crabbet Arabian Stud.
The first owner of record was Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, an award-winning luthier, who found the violin in Spain in the 1860s. He sold the instrument to Lady Anne Blunt, the daughter of Ada Lovelace and granddaughter of Lord Byron. In the 1890s, W.E. Hill & Sons bought the violin from her and sold it to an important collector.
It was sold at auction by Sotheby's in 1971 for the then-record amount of £84,000 by Robert Lowe, (US$200,000) [2] who owned the violin for nearly 30 years. [3]
It was sold again at Sotheby's in London on 14 November 1985 for a record price of £820,000 to a private collector.
In 2008 it was sold to the Nippon Music Foundation for over US$10 million in a private transaction. [4]
In the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the Lady Blunt was put up for charitable sale, with proceeds going to the Nippon Foundation's relief fund. [5] Tarisio Auctions handled the sale online, raising almost £10 million (US$15.9 million), [3] more than four times the previous auction record for a Stradivarius, held by the Molitor when it sold for US$3.6 million in 2010. [6]
The Lady Blunt is one of the two best-preserved Stradivarius violins in existence. [7] It has survived, like the Messiah Stradivarius of 1716, in near-original condition, since it has resided mostly in the hands of collectors and seen little use. It was built on the PG form, being a mature golden period violin. The violin also retains its original neck. It has been played very rarely; Yehudi Menuhin played it in 1971, when the instrument was up for sale. In 2011 it was described as "the best-preserved Stradivarius to be offered for sale in the past century." [5]
Antonio Stradivari was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial Strad are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which 960 were violins. Around 650 instruments survive, including 450 to 512 violins. His instruments are considered some of the finest ever made, and are extremely valuable collector's items.
A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari, in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These instruments are known for their craftsmanship, tonal quality, and lasting legacy, and are considered some of the finest ever made. Stradivari's violins, in particular, are coveted by musicians and collectors, with many selling for millions of dollars.
The Duport Stradivarius is a cello made in 1711 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. The instrument is named after Jean-Louis Duport, who played it from around 1800 until his death.
Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume was a French luthier, businessman, inventor and winner of many awards. His workshop made over 3,000 instruments.
The Soil Stradivarius of 1714 is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It is one of 700 known extant Stradivari instruments. The instrument was made during Stradivari's "golden period" and is named after the Belgian industrialist Amédée Soil. The current owner of the violin is violinist Itzhak Perlman.
The Lady of Tennant-Lafont Stradivarius is an antique violin made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona in 1699, one year before the beginning of his so-called 'golden' period.
The Messiah - Salabue Stradivarius of 1716 is a violin made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is considered to be the only Stradivarius in existence in as "new" state. The neck has been lengthened and at minimum the bass bar, bridge, tailpiece, and pegs have been replaced. It is in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England.
The Otto Booth; Cho-Ming Sin Stradivarius of 1716 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) of Cremona. The original label of the instrument was "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis faciebat Anno 1716". The Booth Stradivarius has a two-piece back and has a body length of 35.4 cm.
The Alard–Baron Knoop Stradivarius of 1715 is an antique violin made by luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It was made during Stradivari's golden period and is regarded as the "finest of the fine," and nec plus ultra by the W.E. Hill & Sons. The Alard has the original neck with the initials "PS" found in the mortise of the head believed to be those of son, Paolo Stradivari. The Hill brothers conclude this violin is one of the instruments that came into Paolo's possession upon the death of his brother Francesco in 1742.
The Hammer Stradivarius is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) of Cremona. The back measures 36 cm, bearing the label inside: "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis/Faciebat Anno 1707". Dating from 1707, it was made during Stradivari's 'golden' period.
The Solomon, Ex-Lambert Stradivarius of 1729 is a violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). The instrument derives its name from previous owners Seymour Solomon, co-founder of Vanguard Records, and British violinist, Dorothy Mary Murray Lambert
The "General Kyd" is a nickname applied to several Stradivarius instruments crafted by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona and owned for a time by British General Alexander Kyd. They include a violin made in 1714, a violin made in 1720, and the General Kyd; ex-Stern Stradivarius cello made in 1684. These instruments have been owned and played by some of the world's leading musicians. The 1714 violin was owned from about 1980 to 1990 by Itzhak Perlman, who made most of his early recordings using this instrument. The 1720 violin's owners included composer Rebecca Clarke.
The Baron Knoop, ex-Bevan Stradivarius is a violin made by the celebrated luthier Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, Italy in 1715.
The Nippon Music Foundation (NMF) is an organisation under the supervision of the Arts and Culture Promotion Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs, a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education. Established 3 March 1972, its stated purpose is to develop international networks of music and foster public interest in music.
Tarisio is the world's largest seller of fine stringed instruments and bows. Founded in 1999 as an auction house that specializes in string instruments and bows, Tarisio now has locations in New York, London and Berlin and serves a global clientele.
The Molitor Stradivarius is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona in 1697, the very beginning of the maker's celebrated "Golden" period. It bears the label "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis / Faciebat Anno 1697" and is branded to the lower rib, "Curtis Phila."
The Le Brun Stradivarius of 1712 is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It is the only violin from Stradivari’s golden period known to have been owned and played by the violinist Niccolò Paganini. When sold at a Sotheby's auction in London in November 2001 it achieved one of the highest prices ever paid for a violin at auction, and became the most expensive instrument in Europe.
The Da Vinci, ex-Seidel Stradivarius is a violin made by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, Italy in 1714.
Dancla violin by Stradivari or Dancla, Milstein is a 1708 Stradivarius violin which is referred to as the "Dancla". It was made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona and named after the French violinist Charles Dancla.
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