A rare 1679 violin made by renowned Italian master Antonio Stradivari will go up for auction next month, where it could fetch up to $ 11 million.

“The Hellier Stradivarius is considered the best violin ever made by Stradivari and one of Stradivarius’s best instruments,” said Christie’s.

Carved with ivory diamonds and painted with a gold lacquer, the violin has a price estimate of up to $ 11 million.

Stradivari kept the instrument for 55 years, selling it in 1734, for 40 pounds in England.

“I expect a lot of interest in such an instrument, because it is so rare and comes out of a museum,” violin expert and Christie’s consultant Florian Leonhard told Reuters.

Stradivari violins are known for their exquisite craftsmanship and they cost between $ 8 and $ 20 million, according to Leonhard.

“Of the approximately 1,100 instruments that Stradivari has made during his career, only about a dozen have been decorated with decorations and this specimen is considered the most well-preserved existing example,” he added.