A Montagnana violin of 1723 has sold at auction in London for £612,000. The figure, which includes 20 per cent buyer's premium, is a world record price for the maker, according to auctioneers Brompton's. The violin, which had been given an estimate of £250,000–£350,000, attracted serious bids from several musicians and was finally sold to the Bolivian-born violinist and conductor Jaime Laredo. His usual instrument is the 'Gariel' Stradivari of 1717.

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