Messiah Violin by Stradivari (Ashmolean Museum)

Stradivari "Messiah" Violin

Violin · Italy

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.