A Stradivarius violin made at the "pinnacle" of Antonio Stradivari’s career sold at auction for an eye-popping price this week. The musical instrument, crafted in 1714 by Stradivari, the luthier most famously associated with the violin, sold for $11.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York Friday. The violin, known as the "Joachim-Ma Stradivarius," was made during Stradivari’s "golden period" when he was at the height of his acoustic mastery of the instrument, Sotheby’s said. "This extraordinary violin represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship and classical music history, its unparalleled sound and storied provenance captivating collectors and musicians alike," Mari-Claudia Jimenez, chair at Sotheby’s,






























