'Messiah' (Le Messie) Stradivarius: quick facts
The 'Messiah' is perhaps the most famous Stradivari violin of all, made during the golden period in 1716. It survives in extraordinarily original, almost unplayed condition, which makes it a key reference for studying Stradivari's work. It was once owned by the dealer Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume and is now kept at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where it is preserved rather than regularly played.
Type
Violin
Year
1716
Period
Golden period
Value / sale
Not for sale (museum-held)
Where it is
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
Named after
From dealer Vuillaume's quip that, like the Messiah, it was always promised but never seen
Sources: The Metropolitan Museum of Art — musical instruments collection; Tarisio — Cozio Archive of stringed instruments. Educational information only — not financial, investment, or appraisal advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.