This Open Culture feature spotlights the “King” Cello, crafted by Andrea Amati in Cremona around 1560, which is widely recognized as the oldest cello in existence. Originally part of a set of 38 instruments commissioned for the court of King Charles IX of France—and still bearing the painted royal armorials in gold leaf—the instrument has survived wars and revolutions to reside at the National Music Museum in South Dakota. Despite being cut down in size during the early 19th century to modernize its playability, the “King” retains a rich, resonant tone, demonstrated in the article through a performance of Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1.