The Messiah – Salabue Stradivarius (1716) is a violin made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is considered to be the only Stradivarius in existence in it’s ‘new state’.[1] It is in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England.
His life can be divided into 4 periods:
1. The Amatisé: 1660 – 1690
2. The Long Pattern: 1690 – 1700
3. The Golden Period: 1700 – 1720
4. The Late Period: 1720 – 1737
The golden period from 1700 to 1725 is known for the time Stradivari had created his finest work. Ok, you could be thinking – that’s great to know and everything but how is this relevant to the Messiah Violin and what has it got to do with Oxford University’s Ashmoleam Museum?
So, this violin was one of the few surviving artefacts in Stradivarius’ workshop. The fact this violin is in near perfect condition since the day it was made (due to it being considered a collector’s item as opposed to being repeatedly used for it’s intended purpose, as a musical instrument) owes it’s remarkable fame and current recognition.
Even though it has been used for impromptu perfomances by famous violinists such as Joseph Joachim and Nathan Milstein, it has rarely been played and shows minimal signs of wear.
Stradivari’s Messiah Violin is believed to be the most valuable in the world. What makes it so valuable is that it represents the golden period of Stradivari’s work and is in it’s ‘like-new’ condition. The Messiah Violin was handed on to the Ashmolean Museum by W.E. Hill as a “yardstick” for future violin makers to use as a reference and to learn from.
The violin owes its condition to the fact that it has always been a collector’s piece. It was probably initially purchased by a collector, Cozio di Salabue, from one of Stradivari’s sons. In the 1820s Salabue sold it to Luigi Tarisio, a dealer and collector who kept it in a case in Italy, but boasted of it to his friends in Paris. It was this that earned it’s current name, because “like the Messiah, it was eagerly expected but did not appear”.
It has since been modernised into a 19th century state notably by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, a luthier and violin dealer, who bought the violin in 1855.
Since acquiring the instrument Vuillaume has replaced the original tailpiece and pegs with the ones displayed on the violin today. The neck has also been extended and the bridge was also replaced in the 19th century.
The varnish, however, is almost unworn; the carving is as crisp as the day it was made and the painted edge-work on the scroll survives intact.
Further affirming that similar to its name, Stradivari’s Messiah Violin represents not only perfection but, harmony, mythology and ultimately – icon status.
You might also be wondering – what is this ‘creative response’ and how is this relevant to the gallery or the violins on display at the Ashmolean? There will be more on the way soon…
