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Violin
Date: 1625-1900 ca.
Place Made:Italy, Europe
Serial No: none
SignedWritten in black ink on later paper label, intentionally distressed: [illegible] / del anno 1529
DescriptionThis violin made by an amateur maker is of uncertain date and location of manufacture.
Top: one-piece spruce cut off-the-quarter: wide grain; two pins through top into top block
Back: one-piece, slab-cut walnut; two wood pins through back into top block; two wood pins through back into bottom block
Ribs: quarter-cut maple: plain; formerly one-piece lower rib divided with two wide ebony strips, one on each side of endpin
Head and neck: maple: plain; grafted neck
Arching: high
Purfling: none
Varnish: dark red; later
Fingerboard: ebony; later
Nut: missing
Tailpiece: ebony; no saddle; key-shaped string holes; tailgut passes through holes in face; faceted lower face; bevelled lower end; early 19th century
Tailgut: steel wire
Pegs: four olivewood; later
Saddle: ebony; wide; finished with same varnish as body
Endpin: black hardwood with open pores
F-holes: strongly curved, tapered wings; low notches
Linings: light hardwood; wide; later
Corner blocks: spruce; later
Top block: spruce; later
Bottom block: spruce; later
Bassbar: spruce; wide; later
Top: one-piece spruce cut off-the-quarter: wide grain; two pins through top into top block
Back: one-piece, slab-cut walnut; two wood pins through back into top block; two wood pins through back into bottom block
Ribs: quarter-cut maple: plain; formerly one-piece lower rib divided with two wide ebony strips, one on each side of endpin
Head and neck: maple: plain; grafted neck
Arching: high
Purfling: none
Varnish: dark red; later
Fingerboard: ebony; later
Nut: missing
Tailpiece: ebony; no saddle; key-shaped string holes; tailgut passes through holes in face; faceted lower face; bevelled lower end; early 19th century
Tailgut: steel wire
Pegs: four olivewood; later
Saddle: ebony; wide; finished with same varnish as body
Endpin: black hardwood with open pores
F-holes: strongly curved, tapered wings; low notches
Linings: light hardwood; wide; later
Corner blocks: spruce; later
Top block: spruce; later
Bottom block: spruce; later
Bassbar: spruce; wide; later
DimensionsTotal violin length: 576 mm
Back length: 353 mm
Upper bout width: 161 mm
Center bout width: 106 mm
Lower bout width: 198 mm
Upper rib height: 29-31 mm
Center rib height: 29-30 mm
Lower rib height: 29-30 mm
Stop length: 189 mm
Vibrating string length: 324 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 132 mm
Back length: 353 mm
Upper bout width: 161 mm
Center bout width: 106 mm
Lower bout width: 198 mm
Upper rib height: 29-31 mm
Center rib height: 29-30 mm
Lower rib height: 29-30 mm
Stop length: 189 mm
Vibrating string length: 324 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 132 mm
ProvenanceLaurence Witten acquired from the Bisiach Collection, Venegono Superiore, Italy, 1968.
Purchased by the National Music Museum from Laurence Witten family, New Haven, Connecticut, 1984.
Purchased by the National Music Museum from Laurence Witten family, New Haven, Connecticut, 1984.
Terms
Credit Line: Witten-Rawlins Collection, 1984
Not on view
Published ReferencesGreg Dean Petersen, "Bridge location on the early Italian violin," Early Music 35, No. 1 (February 2007), pp. 49-64.
Object number: 03418