Joachim’s Strad misses auction record by millions

The vast amount of media hype that puffed up the ‘record-breaking‘ sale of a Stradivarius violin owned by the New England Conservatory of Music went up in hot air at Sotheby”s last night.

The instrument, once in the possession of Joseph Joachim (pictured, left), went under the hammer for $11.25 million, almost five million less than the record set by the Lady Blunt Strad in 2011. The actual hammer price, without buyer fees, was ten million. The instrument, though pedigree, was not thought to be in prime condition.

Private sales of Stradivarius instruments owned by Nathan Milstein and Yehudi Menuhin have closed at twenty million dollars, according to those involved.