Images(18)

Child's violin

Alternate name(s)

½ size Violin

Maker Lorenzo Storioni

Date1793

Place MadeCremona, Italy, Europe

Serial No.none

SignedPrinted on paper label, the last two digits of year written in black ink: Laurentius Storioni fecit. / Cremonæ. 1793.
DescriptionThis child's violin is in remarkably untouched, original condition. The wood choice and workmanship is somewhat freer and rougher than one would expect on an adult-size instrument from Storioni.

Top: two-piece, quarter-cut spruce: medium grain broadening to wide in the treble; top not notched at neck position
Back: one-piece, quarter-cut maple: prominent, irregular, narrow curl descending sharply from treble to bass; ebony pin through back into bottom block
Ribs: quarter-cut maple: plain; one-piece lower rib
Head and neck: maple: medium curl; inside of pegbox stained black
Purfling: does not continue under fingerboard; incised, ink-filled lines on back
Varnish: medium red-orange
Fingerboard: ebony-veneered, black-stained hardwood; finished with same varnish as body on lower half sides; large notch at neck heel position; wedge-shaped; channeled under neck position; relatively flat profile
Nut: ivory; hardwood shim underneath
Tailpiece: ebony-veneered, black-stained hardwood; tailgut passes through holes drilled in face
Tailgut: plain gut; ends burned to stop them from pulling through tailpiece; possibly original
Pegs: brown-stained hardwood with open pores; undercut, flat heads; surfaces highly dented from string turner or chewing
Saddle: ebony; no rise; does not extend to purfling line; lower edge extends into lower rib with triangular profile with concave sides
Endpin: bone with small, decoratively turned head
F-holes: set low and close to edges
Linings: spruce
Corner blocks: spruce
Top block: spruce; three iron nails into neck, two at top and one at bottom
Bottom block: spruce
Bassbar: slightly triangular profile
Bridge: round kidneys and no heart; possibly original and certainly of original period of use

DimensionsTotal child's violin length: 511 mm
Back length: 301 mm
Upper bout width: 129 mm
Center bout width: 79 mm
Lower bout width: 164 mm
Upper rib height: 26-27 mm
Center rib height: 26-27 mm
Lower rib height: 26-27 mm
Stop length: 171 mm
Vibrating string length: 293 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 119 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 number03359

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