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Notable Sales Amati violin This fine example of Nicolo Amati’s “Grand Pattern” was the star lot of Tarisio’s October 2009 auction. Its former owner was Hollywood music mogul George E. Stoll, best known as the composer of the Oscar award-winning score to “The Wizard of Oz.” Made at the height of Amati’s career, the violin is one few 17th-century instruments to retain its original neck. Starting with a presale estimate of $350,000-500,000, this violin sold for $620,000, which is the current record for a Nicolo Amati sold at auction. Moennig Collection In December 2009 the William Moennig & Son firm in Philadelphia closed its doors after 100 years in business. The firm was one of the finest and oldest American violin shops and built a reputation of service, quality, and tradition. In June 2010 Tarisio auctioned the contents of the firm which included over 600 lots of instruments, bows, photographs, books, ephemera, and tonewood with a remarkable 100% of lots sold. The sale included a stunning collection of bows: among the highlights were a gold-chased Tubbs viola bow which sold for a record $27,600, and a very fine Jean Marie Pierre Persoit violin bow which fetched $48,000. Topping the list of historical instruments in the sale was a pristine 18th Century viola d’amore by Ferdinand Gagliano which sold for $60,000. Historical photographs also attracted impressive bids, with images of Joseph Joachim and Igor Stravinsky garnering respective sale prices of $5,100 and $4,200. A 19th-century Victorian double music stand proved one of the most sought-after items in the sale: it received an astonishing 51 bids and sold for $14,400. Brothers Amati viola Tarisio’s second auction featured a 1616 Antonius and Hieronymus Amati viola, previously part of the Curtis Collection and with a provenance traceable back to the early 19th century, when Luigi Tarisio brought it to Paris. Its sale for $775,500 was not just an auction record for a Brothers Amati, it was also the highest price for a viola of any kind and for any instrument by a member of the Amati family. Kubelík Stradivari violin This 1687 Stradivari violin was given to the Czech soloist Jan Kubelík by a wealthy English patroness, who had inherited her fortune from the family biscuit-making business. It was used by Kubelík until he acquired the Emperor Stradivari violin of 1715. Sold by the University of California Berkeley in the May 2003 auction to benefit their music department, it fetched $949,500, which at the time was a world record for a pre-1700 period Stradivari violin. Omobono Stradivari violin An extremely rare example of the work of Stradivari’s son, this violin from c.1740 has a poplar back and a fine tone quality. It was sold in the October 2005 auction for $370,000. François Xavier Tourte bows The two Tourte cello bows sold by Tarisio in October 2006 and February 2007 are an exceptionally fine pair. They were made by François Xavier Tourte (the Stradivari of the bow) in the early 19th century and were probably purchased directly from him by the German cellist and composer Bernhard Romberg. They then shared an extraordinary unbroken provenance, passing from Romberg to the Italian cellist Alfredo Piatti and then to Piatti’s pupil, Robert von Mendelssohn (cousin of the composer Felix Mendelssohn). In the 20th century they were owned by Edmund Kurtz, principal cellist of the Chicago Symphony. The bows both sold for world record prices – the first made $196,000, while the second just beat this, fetching £101,000 ($202,000). Isaac Stern collection After the death of Isaac Stern in 2001, his estate decided to sell his entire collection of instruments, bows and musical ephemera through Tarisio. The sale, held in May 2003, attracted huge interest from bidders around the world eager to obtain items connected with the legendary New York violinist. Among the many world record prices seen in the sale was an astonishing $130,000 paid for a modern copy of one of Stern’s Guarneri violins by Brooklyn maker Samuel Zygmantowicz. Also sold were nearly 30 bows including examples by Tourte ($43,125), Peccatte ($40,250) and Sartory ($37,375). Other items includes books from Stern’s private collection and correspondence, inscribed photographs, 19th-century presentation violin cases and even his humidor. Overall the items brought in $2.3m, helping to make the sale at the time overall the second highest grossing violin auction of any auction house. Arthur Toman collection This collection of wood, tools, models and materials from the important New England luthier Art Toman was sold in October 2004. A highly popular sale, it included a large selection of Aubert bridges from the 1950s and seasoned tonewood from Europe and North America. The proceeds benefited several charities. Brothers Grancino viola Made by Giovanni and Francesco Grancino in c.1680 and in superb condition, this instrument was sold in November 2000 for $286,000. David Tecchler cello In November 2005 Tarisio sold a 1703 David Tecchler cello for $267,500, beating another Tecchler cello, dated 1717, that Tarisio sold in the November 2000 sale for $242,000.
Notable Instrument Sales by Tarisio (* indicates World auction record)
Notable Bow Sales by Tarisio (* indicates World auction record)
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