World's most expensive violin expected to fetch £12m

The Vieuxtemps Guarneri, which was made in 1741, has been put up for sale in Chicago through one of the world's leading traders in rare violins, Bein & Fushi. The violin was named after 19th century musician Henri Vieuxtemps and has been played by some of the greatest virtuosi in the world, the Guardian reports. Dubbed the Mona Lisa of violins.

It is owned by a retired British financier and music philanthropist, Ian Stoutzker, who bought it from Sir Isaac Wolfson, founder of Wolfson College, Oxford. Geoffrey Fushi said the instrument was one of the most unusual made by Guarneri thanks to its size and sound.

"I believe it is a living entity, a living being," Mr Fushi said. "Musicians say the same thing that the instrument dictates to them how they play the music." Peter Quint, a Chicago-based soloist who has performed on the Vieuxtemps several times, said it was unique. "This instrument has the most unbelievable power, not just in loudness but in sound quality. It has a huge palate of colours that allow you to express a wider range of emotions."