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Hi, All.
Okay, it's not a guitar. It's probably not particularly valuable, either. But I am curious to know just what it is. A friend brought this violin to me this morning. She recently got it from her mother, who had it hanging on a wall in St. Louis for several decades. Prior to that, another relative had purportedly bought it on the street in New York for pocket money. The seller needed some quick cash. I don't know much about violins, and I don't suppose this one is exceptional, but it sure is curious. I would love to know more about what my friend just got from her mother. I can't find any cracks or failed glue joints, and I have a hunch this could be made into a fun player just by replacing the missing bridge.
Note three very pretty tuning pegs and one rather ordinary replacement. Oh well. What's curious to me is the extent of carving on the instrument. I have a hunch it's machine carving, but I have never seen anything quite like it. Can any of you help me get a clue here? I'm guessing it either came over on the boat with an immigrant family early in the previous century, or perhaps it was made for trade in Asia just after WWII. Its really rather pretty in its own way. Please take a look. Then give me your best opinions. Many thanks to all.
Cheers!
Patrick

Is rather nicely carved ... especially the head on it is very well done.

Don't know nuthin about it but thanks for posting the pics.


blessings
Padma

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Antiques roadshow here we come !

I dont know anything about it either , however it is nice work and in great shape it appears

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I dont think it was machine carved. If it is they did an amazing job ageing it. Usually there is a tag or name on the inside. Other that that, how does it sound?

Hi, All,
Evan, I haven't been in it with a mirror yet, but I will do so and report back. I didn't see anything through the f-holes, but I wasn't using a strong light. We don't know yet what the sound is like, but the new owner is an excellent violinist, so she'll be able to judge it. I've encouraged her to put a new bridge and strings on it, and, if nothing else, just use it as a "fun" player at home. She told me her mother said it wasn't a "good" violin (whatever that means) and that's why it was a wall hanger for so long. I think "good" is a pretty subjective term, though. Was she talking about sound? Provenance? Who knows? I'm sure my friend will be able to make it sound its best. Whether it is up to the sound of her other two violins remains to be seen and heard.

First thing i thought when I saw it was that The Padma had got a hold of it at some point!

Well, I've checked as best I can inside the violin. I thought I might find a "shadow" or glue stain where a label might have fallen out, but no. No ink, either. The "knuckle" on my inspection mirror won't fit through the f-hole, so I can't see the underside of the top. But if I had built this thing, I certainly would have signed it. I guess she'll need to take it to a good violin shop to have it examined more thoroughly. The sound post and tone bar are still in place. No sign of caving in the top. This one can play again. And I've spent some careful time going over the carving. It's a beautiful job, and the rim carving does show very slight inconsistencies in the mirror images from side to side. I've come to agree with you folks that this is entirely hand carved. This is especially apparent on the back of the peg scroll. Whatever else it might be in terms of a violin, it is certainly a work of visual art.

You'll find quite a few instruments like this in the UK and Europe. They are virtually always the result of Victorian amateurs 'enhancing' an earlier instrument. It was a fashionable hobby to carve relief patterns into older plain furniture and other bits of treen. It drives collectors of Georgian and earlier furniture barmy and seriously reduces the value if the piece used is of itself collectible.

I have seen one like this where extra maple had been added to the sides to provide additional thickness. Unfortunately a violin that would have been worth several thousand pounds was only now worth a few hundred.

This may not be the case with your sample, but would be my first suspicion.

Colin

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Thanks, Colin. I understand your point completely. However, in this case I am pretty sure the instrument was carved during manufacture. It just doesn't bear any evidence of being reworked in the way of the examples you describe. And it doesn't look old enough to have been reworked in Victorian times. A couple of violin makers on another forum have suggested that this is a German or Czech instrument, made commercially for a lot sale to a large instrument store or even a mail order house in the USA. They suggest that it originally dates to the late 1800s or early 1900s. I am inclined to go with those opinions for the time being, until I can find out more. I can fully imagine this being made as a "fancy" instrument for a big music store. (ergo: pretty, and a solid instrument, but not especially fine.) I do respect and appreciate your insights. thanks for responding.

I had one similar to that with a label, it was German of course. It was also carved on the back at the points and from the heel down the center to about the middle of the back. It was very nice construction, great sounding. I lent it to a symphony violinist, and she moved, never to return the fiddle.

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Umm Pat, that would be the Victorian era.

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901.

blessings
Padma

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Yo, Padma, you're correct about the timeline of course, and that's why I said I thought it was carved at the time of manufacture. I don't believe it's a case of an older instrument being reworked in those times. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but the instrument just doesn't have the wear nor the look to suggest that it is much older. Ergo, carved when built, or at least carved when pretty new. It's just a hunch, but I don't think anyone cut into a really old, really fine instrument here. I think it was just made this way from the get go.

Filippo, I agree with your comment. It's not mine, but I'm going to encourage the owner to take it to a qualified violin tech for a new bridge and overall assessment. Maybe that person will be able to get a mirror into it for a look around. I can't believe this thing isn't signed somewhere--but if it is, it's someplace note visible from the f-holes.