New York: A rare Stradivarius violin, designed over 300 years ago by Antonio Stradivari during his golden period, was sold for $ 11.3 million at an auction in New York Friday, according to Sotheby’s.

“This extraordinary violin represents the top of craftsmanship and classical music history, its unique sound and floors that imprisoned collectors and musicians,” Sotheby’s chair Mari-Claudia Jiménez said in a statement.

It said the buyer chose to remain anonymous.

Known for his extraordinary sound, “Joachim-Ma Stradivarius,” named after its distinguished previous owners, the third most expensive musical instrument was ever sold at auction.

The most expensive record belongs to another Stradivarius, “Lady Blunt”, which was sold in 2011 for $ 15.9 million.

“What separates Joachim-Ma Stradivarius is its extraordinary sound-rich, complex and full of depth,” the auction house said.

The instrument belonged to the famous Chinese violinist and educator Si-Hon Ma, who before his death in 2009 donated violin to his Alma Mater, New England Conservatory in Boston, provided that one day it sells violin to funding fellow.

Before that, the violin belonged to the Hungarian virtuoso viroso Joseph Joachim the 19th century, famous for his cooperation with composers such as Johannes Brahms.