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Stradivari "Messiah" Violin

1716 'golden period' Stradivari violin (Ashmolean Museum)

The 'Messiah' (Le Messie, also 'Salabue') is a 1716 golden-period violin by Antonio Stradivari, held by the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. It is famous for being the best-preserved Stradivari in existence: it remained in Stradivari's workshop until his death in 1737, passed to Count Cozio di Salabue in 1775, and was little played thereafter. Its varnish is almost unworn, the carving remains crisp, and the painted edge-work on the scroll survives intact, making it a primary reference for the appearance of a new Stradivari instrument.

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Category

  • Violins

    Violins, violin models, and historically significant violin families.

Made by

  • Antonio Stradivari

    A historical luthier associated with violins, violas, cellos, guitars, and other string instruments.

Part of family

  • Technical line drawing of Stradivari Violin

    Stradivari Violin

    Violin · Italy

    The violins of Antonio Stradivari (Cremona, c. 1666-1737) are the most celebrated in the Western tradition, prized for their projecting, complex tone and refined construction in spruce and maple. Stradivari's output spans an early Amatise period, the experimental 'Long Pattern' of the 1690s, and the mature 'golden period' after 1700 that produced his most sought-after instruments. Surviving examples carry individual names and are held by museums, foundations, and leading soloists; several are cataloged here as exemplars.

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