The 'Lady Blunt' Stradivarius of 1721
On June 20, 2011, Tarisio auctioned this violin for a record setting $15.9 million to an anonymous bidder - Confronted by the tragic events of the 11 March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and resulting nuclear crisis, The Nippon Music Foundation has made an extraordinary offer to assist in the recovery efforts of their native Japan. In a gesture of profound generosity they decided to sell what is considered the finest violin of their collection, the 'Lady Blunt' Stradivarius of 1721, and have pledged the entire proceeds of the sale to The Nippon Foundation's Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. read more
Having been played only rarely during its first 300 years, the 'Lady Blunt' Stradivarius violin was played by Yehudi Menuhin at the time of the Sotheby's sale in 1971, providing a rare opportunity to hear this famous instrument.
