The instrument was once owned by French musician Rodolphe Kreutzer, one of Europe's leading concert violinists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and was crafted in 1731 by famed Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari.
"It's a magnificent instrument, it's a great piece of sculpture," Christie's international specialist head of musical instruments Kerry Keane said.
The instrument was "the one violin that Kreutzer held most special to him and would retain it throughout his life," Christie's added in a statement, describing the violin as "exceptional".
"For the past 25 years, it's lived in a closet," Keane said.
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The violin was unveiled at Hong Kong's convention centre as part of Christie's spring sales preview and will go under the hammer in June in New York as part of an auction entitled "An American Dynasty: The Clark Family Treasures".
Hong Kong Philharmonic's concertmaster, Jing Wang, played two pieces by Bach on the prized violin in front of reporters.
"It's a very intimate instrument, it's very warm," he said.
A rare Stradivarius viola valued at USD 45 million could become the most expensive musical instrument ever sold when it is auctioned by Sotheby's later in June.
Other items previewed in Hong Kong Wednesday for Christie's spring sales included a large Golconda diamond necklace, expected to fetch as much as HKUSD 80 million (USD 10 million) and influential Chinese ink painter Xu Beihong's work "Eagle", forecast to sell for up to HKUSD 20 million.