Violin
Alternate name(s)
- 7/8 size Violin
Date1760 ca.
Place MadeBrescia, Italy, Europe
Serial No.none
SignedWritten in black ink on later paper label: Josep BASSANi / Fecit BressiA / ANNO 1679DescriptionThis violin is rather roughly made and would have been a less expensive grade of instrument. It is not clear whether it was made by a professional or amateur maker.
Top: two-piece, quarter-cut spruce: narrow grain
Back: one-piece, slab-cut maple: plain; ebony cap on button; compass mark at center of button
Ribs: maple cut off-the-quarter: narrow curl; one-piece lower rib
Head: maple: plain
Neck: maple: plain; grafted onto head
Arching: low height
Edging: minimal recurve
Purfling: single light hardwood strip
Varnish: medium red-orange
Fingerboard: ebony; slightly tapered; notches at neck heel postion
Nut: white translucent material
Tailpiece: ebony; tailgut passes through holes in face
Tailgut: copper wire
Pegs: four medium brown hardwood; undercut heads; integral pin on ends of heads; inscribed line on outside edges of heads
Saddle: ebony; narrow; later
Endpin: medium brown hardwood; decoratively turned head
Linings: light hardwood
Corner blocks: spruce
Top block: spruce
Bottom block: spruce
Bridge: late 18th or early 19th century bridge with half-circle kidneys, no hear, low feet, small hole at lower center, and significant thickness
DimensionsTotal violin length: 566 mm
Back length: 345 mm
Upper bout width: 163 mm
Center bout width: 111 mm
Lower bout width: 202 mm
Upper rib height: 30-32 mm
Center rib height: 30-31 mm
Lower rib height: 30-33 mm
Stop length: 195 mm
Vibrating string length: 224 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 131 mm
ProvenanceFrom the Bisiach Collection, Venegono Superiore, acquired by Laurence Witten from the heirs, 1968.
Purchased by the National Music Museum from Laurence Witten Family, New Haven, Connecticut, 1984.
Credit LineWitten-Rawlins Collection, 1984
Object number03360
On View
Not on view
1940 -1950 ca.
