Unsung Strad sets no record

A rare instrument by the world’s most celebrated violin-maker, Antonio Stradivari, fetched $966,000 from a private collector at a London auction Wednesday, short of what Christie’s had expected.

Dating from 1726, the violin is just one year older than the Kreutzer Stradivarius, which at $1.5 million still holds the world record as the most expensive musical instrument ever sold at auction. Unlike some of its sister instruments, however, this one does not have a particularly colorful history because it was never owned by a professional violinist or played in a public concert. Instead it has been owned by a series of professional collectors.