Considered to be one of the greatest Brescian makers, Gasparo Bertolotti ‘da Salò’ set up his workshop in the early 1560s. During his career, which spanned more than four decades, he made various types of stringed instruments. This cello, dating from circa 1600, is a fascinating example of Da Salò’s work, one of only three or four cellos known to survive, and probably the only one which retains its original dimensions. It has a captivating sound with a uniquely dark range of colours.