A violin made by the famed Antonio Stradivari in 1714 has the potential to become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold when it goes up for auction on Friday at Sotheby香蕉视频直播檚 in New York.

The auction house is estimating the value of the 香蕉视频直播淛oachim-Ma Stradivarius香蕉视频直播� at $12 million to $18 million. If it sells at the top end of that range, it could best the $15.9 million paid in 2011 for another Stradivarius, the 香蕉视频直播淟ady Blunt,香蕉视频直播� made in 1721 and named by Guinness World Records as the most expensive instrument ever sold at auction.

Mari-Claudia Jimenez, Sotheby香蕉视频直播檚 Americas president and head of global business, said Stradivari made the violin during his 香蕉视频直播淕olden Period,香蕉视频直播� which began around 1700 and was marked by an improvement in his craftmanship.

香蕉视频直播淪o this is the peak of his output,香蕉视频直播� Jimenez said. 香蕉视频直播淭his is the best violin of this era.香蕉视频直播�

Sotheby香蕉视频直播檚 says the violin香蕉视频直播檚 preservation is remarkable, and its ownership history extraordinary.

It香蕉视频直播檚 named for two of its famed owners 香蕉视频直播� violin virtuosos Joseph Joachim of Hungary, who lived from 1831 to 1907, and Si-Hon Ma, who was born in China in 1926, moved to the U.S. in 1948 and died 2009.

It is believed that legendary composer Johannes Brahms was influenced by the Joachim-Ma when he wrote his 香蕉视频直播淰iolin Concerto in D Major香蕉视频直播� because of its rich, resonant tone, and that Joachim played that violin during the concerto香蕉视频直播檚 1879 premiere, according to Sotheby香蕉视频直播檚.

Ma acquired the violin in 1969 and his estate gifted it to the New England Conservatory in Boston after his death. Ma attended the conservatory, where he earned a master香蕉视频直播檚 degree in 1950. The conservatory is now putting the violin up for auction, with all the proceeds going to student scholarships.