Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1721, the 'Lady Blunt'
Violin: 24222
Labeled, "Antonius Stradivarius faciebat Cremonensis Anno 1721."
Bearing its original neck, re-angled at the heel. Accompanied by its original bassbar and fingerboard and a presentation case from W.E. Hill & Sons. The ornamented pegs and tailpiece by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume. Inscribed “PG” to the inside of the pegbox.
Back: in two pieces of maple with flame of medium width ascending from the joint
Top: in two pieces of spruce with medium width grain widening to the edges
Scroll: of broader curl, with original blacking on the chamfers
Ribs: of broader curl
Varnish: of a rich red-brown color
Length of back: 35.7 cm
Upper bouts: 16.8 cm
Lower bouts: 20.9 cm
There are 16 additional images in the archive which are not available publicly. Please contact us for more information.
Notes:
Christopher Reuning: "Along with the ‘Messie’ of 1716, the 1721 ‘Lady Blunt’ stands above all other Stradivari violins in terms of its survival in near perfect, original condition. . . Inside the pegbox, at the base of the mortise, is the maker’s inscription 'P G' which indicates the violin was built on the 'P G' form. In the past, this inscription has been thought to be the initials of Paolo Stradivari but more recent scholars have demonstrated otherwise. The handwriting and letter form of the 'P G' in the pegbox of the ‘Lady Blunt’ exactly match the inscription on the 'P G' Stradivari form exhibited in the Museo Stradivariano in Cremona. The 'PG' (MS21) along with the 'G' (MS49) were the largest two violin forms Stradivari used during his mature years. The violins built on these forms are universally considered the most desirable."The ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivarius violin, Cremona, 1721, Cozio Carteggio feature
Provenance
| 1860-1864 | Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume |
| 1864-1895 | Lady Anne Blunt |
| in 1895 | Charles Withers & Emil Hamma |
| 1895-1896 | Charles F. Edler |
| in 1896 | Sold by W. E. Hill & Sons |
| 1896-1900 | Baron Johann Knoop |
| 1900-1901 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| from 1901 | Johann Kruse |
| until 1913 | J. E. Street |
| 1913-1915 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| 1915-1929 | Richard Bennett |
| 1929-1941 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| in 1941 | Robert Augustus Bower |
| 1941-1959 | Henry Werro |
| in 1959 | Anonymous |
| in 1959 | Sold by W. E. Hill & Sons |
| 1959-1971 | Sam Bloomfield |
| in 1971 | Sold by W. E. Hill & Sons |
| in 1971 | Sold by Sotheby's |
| 1971-2000 | Robin Loh |
| in 2000 | Sold by W. E. Hill & Sons |
| ... | ... |
| in 2008 | Sold by W. E. Hill & Sons |
| 2008-2011 | Nippon Music Foundation |
| until 2011 | Anonymous |
| in 2011 | Sold by Tarisio |
| from 2011 | Anonymous |
| from 2011 | Current owner |
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (2008)- Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1971)
- Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1959)
- Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1941)
- Certificate: Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, Paris (1864) (translated from the French):
"I, the undersigned, declare that I have sold to Lady Anne Isobella Nöel a violin by Antonio Stradivari, made in Cremona in the year 1721 for the sum of £260 sterling. I guarantee the perfect authenticity of this instrument which came into my possession with its original fingerboard and without having been opened, everything about it is intact and I have not touched it except as is required by present day needs. I have had to change the bar and lengthen the neck to modern dimensions, but I have preserved the original neck…"
Letter: Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, Paris (1864) To Mr. Plowden: "This violin was brought to me from Spain in an unheard of condition with the neck, fingerboard, bass bar of Stradivari, it had never been opened, the reason being that it had reposed, forgotten, in an attic for 100 years."- Dendrochronology report: John C. Topham, Surrey Dating the youngest tree ring to 1704.
- Letter: Robert Augustus Bower
Cozio holds copies of many certificates and other documents, some of which are available to view on request. Please contact us if you wish to view a particular document. (Note that we do not always have permission to share documents.)
References
Lady Blunt: Stradivarius-Violine 1721, Henry Werro, Bern (illustrated)- Antonio Stradivari: His Life & Work (1644-1737), W. Henry, Arthur F. & Alfred E. Hill, William E. Hill & Sons, London, 1902 (illustrated)
- Capolavori di Antonio Stradivari, Charles Beare, Arnoldo Mondadori S.p.A., Milan
- Four Centuries of Violin Making: Fine Instruments from the Sotheby's Archive, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, Boston (illustrated)
- Italian Violin Makers (1964), Karel Jalovec, Paul Hamlyn, London, 1964
- Italienische Geigenbauer (1957), Karel Jalovec, Artia, Prague, 1957
- Ars Musica, Aloys Greither, Bayer AG, Heft 11
- The Strad, August, 2001, John Dilworth, Orpheus, London
- Sotheby's Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, June 3, 1971, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, London (illustrated)
- Sotheby's Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, Part II, November 14, 1985, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, London (illustrated)
- Violins & Violinists, September-October, 1950, Ernest N. Doring, William Lewis & Son, Chicago
- Stradivarius-Guarnerius del Gesù: Catalogue descriptif de leurs instruments (Facsimile of Gand's notes from 1870-91), Charles-Eugène Gand, Les Amis de la Musique, Spa (illustrated)
- The Strad, May, 1971, Robert Lewin, London (illustrated)
- The Strad 2001 Calendar, Orpheus Publications, London
- Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari 1644-1737, Herbert K. Goodkind, Larchmont, NY
- The ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivarius violin, Cremona, 1721, Cozio Carteggio feature (illustrated)
- W. E. Hill & Sons Photographic Archive (illustrated)
‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivarius of 1721