NEW YORK (AP) – A Stradivarius violin made in the late 17th century sold Friday for just over $2 million, the most ever paid for a musical instrument at auction, according to Christie’s auction house, which handled the sale.
The winning bid of $2,032,000 by a private American collector far surpassed the previous record of $1,776,940, set in 1990 for another Stradivarius violin, the auction house said.
The instrument sold Friday, known as “The Lady Tennant” violin, was made by Antonio Stradivari in 1699 and “illustrates the hallmarks of Stradivari’s emerging Golden Period style,” Christie’s said in a statement announcing the sale.
Both the buyer and seller wished to remain anonymous, according to Rik Pike, a spokesman for the auction house. The price included a premium of about $232,000 for the auction house.
Another instrument in the auction, a cello made by Matteo Goffriller of Venice in 1707, sold for $620,800, a new record for Goffriller’s instruments, the auction house said.
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