The cello, made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1760, came from the collection of a European musician and was sold by Christie's in London for Ô£341,250, the highest price ever paid for a Guadagnini instrument.
Guadagnini, who worked in the northern Italian town of Parma, built some of the world's finest cellos, making them smaller than average using technology that was new at the time. Only five of his cellos have come to auction in the last two decades.
