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Violin
Date: 1850-1890 ca.
Place Made:Klingenthal; Brunndobra, Saxony, Germany, Europe
Model: Hopf
Serial No: none
SignedBranded on inside of back, visible through bass f-hole, and on outside of back below button, under varnish: HOPF
MarkingsWritten in pencil on top block: 4
Music manuscript written in black ink on brown paper, glued to inside of upper bass rib
Music manuscript written in black ink on brown paper, glued to inside of upper bass rib
DescriptionTop: two-piece, quarter-cut spruce: wide grain broadening to very wide at the flanks; no notch in top at neck position; large spruce dowel through top into top block on bass side of center joint; large spruce dowel through top into bottom block on treble side of center joint
Back: two-piece, quarter-cut maple: narrow curl descending from center joint
Ribs: quarter-cut maple: narrow curl angled to left on upper bass, upper treble, and center treble bouts, angled to right on center bass, lower bass, and lower treble bouts
Head and neck: maple: plain; wide, short scroll ears; large channel in neck under fingerboard position
Purfling: does not continue under fingerboard at neck position
Varnish: medium brown
Fingerboard: black-stained spruce veneered with black-stained pearwood
Nut: ebony; later
Tailpiece: missing
Pegs: rosewood with ivory pins; convex, undercut heads; later, fitted by Lothar Meisel, made by Emil Lorenz, Bubenreuth, originally from Markneukirchen
Saddle: ebony; wide
Endpin: black-stained pearwood; very small head
F-holes: large notches
Linings: spruce
Corner blocks: spruce lower corner blocks; no upper corner blocks
Top block: integral with neck; wider at top; spruce shims between top block and ribs
Bassbar: carved from top; very wide; very low height
Other: pyramid-shaped spruce cleats along inside of back joint; circular saw marks visible on inside of ribs
Back: two-piece, quarter-cut maple: narrow curl descending from center joint
Ribs: quarter-cut maple: narrow curl angled to left on upper bass, upper treble, and center treble bouts, angled to right on center bass, lower bass, and lower treble bouts
Head and neck: maple: plain; wide, short scroll ears; large channel in neck under fingerboard position
Purfling: does not continue under fingerboard at neck position
Varnish: medium brown
Fingerboard: black-stained spruce veneered with black-stained pearwood
Nut: ebony; later
Tailpiece: missing
Pegs: rosewood with ivory pins; convex, undercut heads; later, fitted by Lothar Meisel, made by Emil Lorenz, Bubenreuth, originally from Markneukirchen
Saddle: ebony; wide
Endpin: black-stained pearwood; very small head
F-holes: large notches
Linings: spruce
Corner blocks: spruce lower corner blocks; no upper corner blocks
Top block: integral with neck; wider at top; spruce shims between top block and ribs
Bassbar: carved from top; very wide; very low height
Other: pyramid-shaped spruce cleats along inside of back joint; circular saw marks visible on inside of ribs
DimensionsTotal violin length: 588 mm
Back length: 357 mm
Upper bout width: 162 mm
Center bout width: 111 mm
Lower bout width: 202 mm
Upper rib height: 31-32 mm
Center rib height: 31-32 mm
Lower rib height: 32-33 mm
Stop length: 193 mm
Vibrating string length: 321 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 128 mm
Back length: 357 mm
Upper bout width: 162 mm
Center bout width: 111 mm
Lower bout width: 202 mm
Upper rib height: 31-32 mm
Center rib height: 31-32 mm
Lower rib height: 32-33 mm
Stop length: 193 mm
Vibrating string length: 321 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 128 mm
ProvenanceFormerly used by Lothar and his father Kurt to show as an example of the Hopf model.
Terms
Credit Line: Gift of Kurt Lothar and Patricia A. Meisel, 2003
Not on view
Published ReferencesRussell Scott Smith, “The Last Waltz: Owatonna Violinmaker Lothar Meisel Embodies 300 Years of Family Tradition - A Tradition that Will Soon Come to an End,” Minnesota Monthly 30, No. 12 (December 1996), pp. 60-65, 137-138.
Object number: 10451