Muntz Stradivarius
The Muntz Stradivarius is an antique violin crafted by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona in 1736. The label affixed to this instrument bears the inscription, “d'anni 92”, possibly handwritten by Stradivari himself. It has also been suggested that Count Cozio di Salabue, a subsequent owner, made this inscription. The Muntz which has a solid reputation for its excellent condition and tonal quality, takes its name from a man who owned it in the late 19th century, H. M. Muntz. He was a collector and amateur violinist who lived in Birmingham, England. The Muntz, among the last of the instruments made by Stradivari, is currently owned by the Nippon Music Foundation.
Since 2007, the Muntz Stradivarius has been leased to Yuki Manuela Janke, concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Dresden. It was confiscated at Frankfurt Airport in 2012 when Janke returned from a performance in Tokyo, but was later returned.
