Unplayed, therefore priceless

The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is home to perhaps the most unique and valuable violin in history -- "Le Messie," made by Stradivarius in 1716. This instrument is in virtually mint condition, having never been played in its 300 year life.

On a philosophical note, it is somewhat ironic that what makes Le Messie so important is that it has never been used. I am quite sure that Stradivarius intended the instrument to be well used and well loved. What is the point of having an exquisitely made, perfect sounding violin if no one can ever hear it?

The violin is not without controversy. A few years ago, a researcher declared it to be a fake. The reasons:

• Le Messie was owned for a time by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, a famous dealer who was also know for creating his own imitations of high-quality violins. It is possible that what is known as Le Messie today is actually a copy of the actual Stradivarius.
• One dendochronologist (someone who studies tree-ring dating) declared that the wood was from the late 1730s, after Stradivarius had died. However, this judgment was made from photos of the violin, not the instrument itself.

Subsequent dendochronology studies found that the wood was cut in the 1680s, well within Stradivarious's lifetime. It appears that the instrument is plausibly genuine, though a slight cloud still hangs over it.

Le Messie is a beautiful violin -- smooth and exquisitely varnished. Under the bridge is a delicate carving of what looks like the Holy Family. However, this is not where it gets its name. Instead, Le Messie was named after Luigi Tarisio, one of the early owners, bragged about how wonderful the instrument was but never showed it to his friends. One of them quipped that it was like the Messiah -- always looked for but never seen -- and the name stuck.