A violin by
Pietro Guarneri

Pietro Guarneri made far fewer instruments than his brother Giuseppe and after leaving Cremona in 1679 his principal job was that of a violinist in the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua. Consequently, he is thought of as the musician’s maker with a quality of work that was second to none. This rare instrument was most probably part of a matching ensemble of decorated violins made in the style of the Charles IX collection by Andrea Amati.

This violin belonged for many years to a concertmaster in the United States and is illustrated in the magnificent first volume of “Liuteria Mantovana” by Philip Kass and Andrea Zanrè.