Desperate times call for desperate measures. This explains why one of the two best-preserved Stradivarius violins will be put up for auction on June 20. According to Christopher Reuning of the Boston-based Reuning and Son Violins, Stradivarius violins of such quality (it still shows it maker’s brushstrokes and tool-marks) rarely appear on the market.
The Lady Blunt violin (thus named after one of its former owners) is currently owned by The Nippon Music Foundation and it will be auctioned off by Tarisio Auctions. All proceeds will go directly towards the Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Fund. The director of the auction house, Jason Price, describes the violin as “the equivalent of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Michelangelo’s David” in the world of stringed instruments.
Tarisio was founded in 1999 and it now sells over 2,000 bows, cellos, violas and violins each year. To have the opportunity to sell a priceless instrument like this 1721 Stradivarius is a true honor for them. Price said “We are honored to present this historically significant violin for such an important and urgent cause”. The precious instrument is expected to fetch around $10 million (the same price for which another rare Stradivarius was sold in 2008).
