'Soil' Stradivarius: quick facts
The 'Soil' is a golden-period violin of 1714, regarded as one of Stradivari's finest. It was owned and played by Yehudi Menuhin and later acquired by Itzhak Perlman, who has performed and recorded on it for decades — making it one of the most-heard Stradivari instruments in the modern concert repertoire.
Type
Violin
Year
1714
Period
Golden period
Value / sale
Reported private sale (not public)
Where it is
Played by Itzhak Perlman
Named after
Belgian industrialist Amédée Soil, a former owner
Sources: Tarisio — Cozio Archive of stringed instruments; The Metropolitan Museum of Art — musical instruments collection. Educational information only — not financial, investment, or appraisal advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.