Stradivarius
From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
Antonio Stradivari (ca. 1644 - 18 december 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial Strad are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which 960 were violins. Around 650 instruments survive, including 450 to 512 violins. His instruments are considered some of the finest ever made, and are extremely valuable collector's items.
In the Sherlock Holmes stories
A Study in Scarlet (1887)
- Sherlock Holmes prattled away about Cremona fiddles, and the difference between a Stradivarius and an Amati (STUD 474).
The Sign of Four (1890)
- Sherlock Holmes spoke on a quick succession of subjects — on miracle plays, on mediaeval pottery, on Stradivarius violins, on the Buddhism of Ceylon, and on the warships of the future — handling each as though he had made a special study of it (SIGN 1933).
The Cardboard Box (1893)
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson had a pleasant little meal together, during which Holmes would talk about nothing but violins, narrating with great exultation how he had purchased his own Stradivarius, which was worth at least five hundred guineas, at a Jew broker's in Tottenham Court Road for fifty-five shillings (CARD 262).
