Notes:

The Cabriac by Antonio Stradivari was made circa 1698 (the last figure of the date on the original label is indistinct) but unlike many of the ‘long pattern’ violins made during the 1690s this instrument has a standard back length of 356 mm. There is the mark of a noble family (a coronet and fleur de lys) branded on both sides of the end pin. It has spent much of its life in France and Switzerland having been owned by the family of Count de Cabriac, Emile Francais, Dr Bonjour of Geneva and for some years in the hands of the Harbisreutinger Collection. It also appears in a Sotheby’s sale catalogue in 1986. It was subsequently owned by the collector Bernie Goldblatt before passing to its present owner. The branded symbol is divided in two: the upper part is "corona nobiliare a cinque perle" ("crown of the nobility with five pearls") and the lower part is the "giglio di Firenze" (the "fleur de lys" of Florence). This is a generic symbol similar to that used by the Gran Duca of Tuscany which was given to the nobility of Florence during the period of 1600 to 1780 – Beare catalogue October 2014.

Beares Auctions Catalogue October 2014, J & A Beare Auctions