Entertainment | Stradivarius tops auction record
1707 Stradivarius Violin. One of my customers is a Russian cellist whose brother - also a Russian, though a violinist - owns a Stradivarius. His is one of the less expensive models, costing him only four hundred thousand dollars. He brought to my office and I got to hold it. Ooooooh. Actually, it was pretty cool. The Strad fiddle pictured sold for 3.5 million in 2006.
Background - Hardanger Fiddle Association of America
The Hardanger fiddle (in Norwegian, hardingfele), is often called the national instrument of Norway. The sound it produces, is described as haunting, or echo-like. The oldest known fiddle, the "Jaastad Fiddle," was made by Olav Jonsson Jaastad from Ullensvang, and may date from as early as 1651.
Violin Maker: Nicolò Amati (Cremona 1596–1684 Cremona) Date: 1669 Geography: Cremona, Italy Culture: Italian (Cremona) Medium: Spruce, maple, other woods Dimensions: Body length (belly): 35 cm (13-13/16 in.); Upper bouts: 16.1 cm (6-5/16 in.); Middle bouts: 11.0 cm (4-5/16 in.); Lower bouts: 20.1 cm (7-15/16 in.)