---

Musical Instruments

As the market leader of fine Musical Instruments at auction, Christie’s holds the world auction record for any musical instrument for the sale of The Hammer (May 2006) violin by Antonio Stradivari, which achieved $3,544,000 in May 2006. While stringed instruments of the violin family generally dominate Christie’s sales, fretted and wind instruments, as well as early keyboard instruments, also appear in our sales in London and New York.

Kerry Keane, New York

KKerry Keane, International Specialist and Department Head, is a talented guitarist and banjo player, as well as an expert builder and restorer of musical instruments with over 30 years in the musical instrument trade. At Christie’s since 1999, Mr. Keane has achieved numerous world auction records which include $292,000 for an important violin by Nicolo Amati (2001); $459,833 for a fine violin by Giuseppe Guarneri filius Andreae (2002); $180,000 for a classical guitar by Herman Hauser, Sr. (2006); and $486,400 for a viola by Tomaso Balestrieri (2006). A member of the Violin Society of America, Mr. Keane has lectured widely and lent his expertise to numerous institutions, including the Violin Society of America and The American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers. Since 1995, he has been the primary guest appraiser of musical instruments on the highly popular television program Antiques Roadshow. Benjamin Hebbert, London Ben Hebbert has been associated with the violin world for more than a decade and also has a deep interest for all types of historical musical instruments. An authority on the history of musical instruments, Ben has been a part-time lecturer at London Metropolitan University, where he is an honorary research fellow. He has given prominent lectures in Britain and the United States on elements of violin connoisseurship and instrument history. His first passion is the violin, which he has played all his life. Ben Hebbert joined Christie’s from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he was a curatorial fellow in the musical instrument department. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) as a musical instrument maker from London Guildhall University. He also holds an M.Mus. degree in historical musicology from Leeds University. He is completing a doctorate on violin makers and the early English music trade at the University of Oxford (St. Cross College).

Kreutzer Stradivari

Taft, Ex Emil Heermann

To get a free estimate of your instrument or bow, we invite you to make an appointment to come into Christie's, or simply send in photographs with any information regarding provenance or certificates. For further information regarding all aspects of buying and selling at auction please contact: Christie’s Department of Musical Instruments New York: Kerry Keane, International Department Head kkeane@christies.com Katie Banser kbanser@christies.com Tel: + 1 212 707 5974 Fax: +1 212 636 4929 London: Benjamin Hebbert, Specialist bhebbert@christies.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7752 3368 Fax: +44 (0)20 7321 3321