Violin
Maker
Giovanni Paolo Maggini
Date1620-1632 ca.
Place MadeBrescia, Italy, Europe
SignedPrinted on paper label: Gio. Paolo Maggini in BreſciaMarkingsScratched on bass side of back button: S.
Stamped with metal dies on lower treble rib near endpin: 0 / 12
DescriptionGiovanni Paolo Maggini was one of the most famous Brescian makers and his high-arched, double-purfled model was widely copied. Maggini died during the plague that swept Northern Italy in 1632, ending the continuous Brescian violin making tradition dating back to the early 16th century. Later outsiders, such as Rogeri, moved to Brescia to restart violin making, and sometimes immitated the earlier Brescian style. This violin, with dendrochrology (tree ring dating) showing the latest tree ring of 1527, has the old wood more typical of the earlier makers.
Top: two-piece, quarter-cut spruce, very fine grain; maple pin through top into top block on bass side of center joint; maple pin through top into bottom block on treble side of center joint, inside both purfling strips
Back: two-piece maple, cut off-the-quarter, narrow curl descending from center joint; maple pin through back into top block on treble side of center joint, between purfling strips; maple pin through back into bottom block on bass side of center joint, under outer purfling strip; later button with ebony cap
Ribs: slab-cut maple, faint, broad curl; rib corners rounded; lower rib joint slightly to treble side of endpin
Arching: high and full
Purfling: double; inner strip extends partially under fingerboard
Varnish: medium red-brown with craquelure
Fingerboard: ebony (later)
Tailpiece: ebony, tulip-shaped; cast gold lyre set onto face (later)
Tailgut: black plastic
Saddle: ebony (later)
Endpin: dark brown-stained boxwood with three grooves on face (later)
Linings: willow or poplar (later)
Corner blocks: spruce (later)
Top block: willow or poplar (later)
Bottom block: spruce (later)
Bassbar: later
Other: saw marks visible on outside of ribs; internal arching of the back set in from edges
DimensionsTotal violin length: 584 mm
Stop length: 183 mm
Vibrating string length: 317 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 133.7 mm (current)
Top length: 350 mm
Top upper bout width: 161.3 mm
Top center bout width: 107.3 mm
Top lower bout width: 203 mm
Back length: 353 mm
Back upper bout width: 161.0 mm
Back center bout width: 107.4 mm
Back lower bout width: 203 mm
Upper rib height: 27.9-29.2 mm
Center rib height: 28.5-29.1 mm
Lower rib height: 28.0-29.0 mm
ProvenancePrevious Ownership and Use: Acquired by Witten from Hans Weisshaar, Los Angeles, California, on the advice of Dario D’Attili, 1972.
Purchased by the National Music Museum from Laurence Witten family, New Haven, Connecticut, 1984.
Published ReferencesGreg Dean Petersen, "Bridge location on the early Italian violin," Early Music 35, No. 1 (February 2007), pp. 49-64.
Credit LineWitten-Rawlins Collection, 1984
Object number03365
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