Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ made the ‘Cessole’ violin during his period of full maturity. It bears a label dated 1736, and the character of the instrument fits perfectly with his style in that year. The back is spectacular, with a broad and deep flame extending upwards from the central joint. Includes measurements

‘The main character of the violin is an appearance of delicacy, a trait that is generally unexpected for “del Gesù”, but which is often found in his instruments before his later period. The body of the violin is a little small, a few millimetres shorter than a standard Stradivari’ – Carlo Chiesa in the July 2010 issue of The Strad