Stradivarius violin ‘The Hammer” makes $3.54 million at Christie’s New York
Published May 17th, 2006
An anonymous bidder paid $3.54 million (1.87 million pounds) for a Stradivarius violin made in 1707 at auction house Christie’s on Tuesday, making it the most expensive musical instrument ever sold at auction, Christie’s said.
The violin, known as the Hammer, was made by Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, Italy, during his “golden period,” when he is believed to have crafted his finest instruments.
Before the sale, Christie’s had estimated the Hammer’s value at $1.5 million to $2.5 million.
The previous record belonged to the Lady Tennant, a 1699 Stradivarius that sold for $2.03 million at Christie’s in April last year. Private sales have exceeded that price.
Of the more than 1,100 instruments Stradivari is believed to have made, only about 620 violins survive today, according to Kerry Keane, head of the musical instrument department at Christie’s.
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