‘Folinari’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ of c. 1725
A violin by the Italian maker Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ was auctioned by Tarisio on June 25, 2012 when an anonymous bidder established a new world-record price for the maker of £1.5 million ($2.33 million). Known as the ‘Folinari’, the violin was made in Cremona, Italy, in around 1725, making it one of the earliest surviving ‘del Gesù’ instruments. Although Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ (1698 – 1744) ranks alongside Antonio Stradivari as one of the two greatest violin makers of all time, his instruments are much more rare. The appearance of a ‘del Gesù’ at auction was a significant event; there have only been two previous ‘del Gesù’ violins offered at auction in the past ten years.
