'Molitor' Stradivarius

Filed under Famous instruments & value · Stradivarius Violins editorial team

The Molitor is a violin made by Antonio Stradivari in 1697, placing it in what is characterised as his early, pre-golden period. The instrument takes its name from Juliette Récamier de Molitor, a nineteenth-century French owner associated with the Napoleonic era. A longstanding tradition holds that the instrument had a connection to that circle, lending it a provenance that has contributed to its storied reputation.

The violin came to widespread international attention in 2010, when it sold at auction for what was at the time a record price for any musical instrument. The sale drew considerable attention to the upper reaches of the rare-instrument market and illustrated how provenance and reputation can shape prices for instruments bearing the Stradivari name.

The buyer was a concert violinist who plays the instrument professionally, meaning the Molitor remains an active part of musical life rather than a museum piece. It is currently privately held by that soloist. The auction result brought renewed scrutiny to how exceptional historical instruments are valued, traded, and preserved within the international market for rare stringed instruments.

Sources: Tarisio — Cozio Archive of stringed instruments; Library of Congress — Stradivari instruments / Whittall Collection; The Metropolitan Museum of Art — musical instruments collection; Smithsonian — National Music Museum / NMAH string instruments. Educational information only — not financial, investment, or appraisal advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.

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