Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1707, the 'La Cathédrale'
Violin: 40082
Labeled, "Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1707."
Back: One-piece of medium curl ascending slightly from left to right, with original wings in the lower bouts
Top: of narrow grain in the center, opening out to medium grain on the flanks fo the treble side and broader grain on the flanks of the bass side
Scroll: of broad curl
Ribs: of broad curl
Varnish: Orange-red
Length of back: 35.6 cm
Upper bouts: 16.8 cm
Lower bouts: 20.8 cm
Notes:
"The name La Cathédrale (1707) was given to this one-piece back violin by the French violinist J B Cartier whose L'Art du Violon was published in Paris in 1798. It is thought that an officer of Napoleon's army brought this violin from Italy. There follows a gap in its history until 1949 where it was shown to Hamma of Stuttgart; In 1955 it was in the possession of Marius Casadesus; in 1984 Michael Scheinin; and in 1986 it was bought by local company N W Brown Group who put it into their musical Trust Fund - the beneficiary of whom was Nigel Kennedy."Illustrated in The Strad, Feb. 1987.
How Many Strads?, Doring, Bein & Fushi, Doring, Bein & Fushi, How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Chicago
Provenance
| until 1831 | Jean Baptiste Cartier |
| 1831 - 1872 | Pierre David |
| from 1872 | E. Lemoine |
| in 1955 | Marius Casadesus |
| ... | ... |
| in 1984 | Sold by Sotheby's |
| from 1984 | Michel Scheinen |
| 1986 - 1991 | N. W. Brown Group |
| in 1991 | Sold by Peter Biddulph |
| from 1991 | Anonymous |
| in 2015 | Anonymous |
| from 2017 | Current owner |
Known players
Nigel Kennedy, Tamaki Kawakubo
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1955)- Certificate: Hamma & Co., Stuttgart (1949)
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
Bein & Fushi 1993 Calendar, Bein & Fushi, Inc, Bein & Fushi, Chicago (illustrated)- Capolavori di Antonio Stradivari, Charles Beare, Arnoldo Mondadori S.p.A., Milan (illustrated)
- The Strad, February, 1987, London (illustrated)
- Four Centuries of Violin Making: Fine Instruments from the Sotheby's Archive, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, Boston (illustrated)
- How Many Strads? (1999 edition), Doring, Bein & Fushi, Bein & Fushi, Chicago, 1999
- The Strad, October, 2000, Jane Dorner, Orpheus, London (illustrated)
- Sotheby's Highly Important Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, November 22, 1984, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, London (illustrated)
- Stradivari Society Recipients
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (illustrated)
- The Miracle Makers, Bein & Fushi, Chicago (illustrated)