Baroque Violin

This violin was made in Mirecourt, France around 1760. Local maple from the Vosges region used in this violin was a common material for makers in Mirecourt during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Built “in the air” without a form or mold, the ribs (often left unlined) are inlaid into the back which also has an extended platform to accommodate a neck and top block in one piece . In an early repair, the original maple neck and top block piece was probably damaged, and a replacement baroque neck and scroll was fitted to the body and held with two brass nails through a replacement spruce block.

In the summer of 1934 the violin was opened and extensively repaired by Nicola Reale at the Smithsonian Institution. He secured damage to the table, fitted a new bass bar and replaced missing linings to the ribs. In his notes, no alteration was made to the top block and neck which were considered to be original. This violin is made of a two-piece table of spruce, back of plain maple in two pieces, ribs of similar maple and inlaid into a channel cut in the back, maple neck, pegbox and scroll, a hard, transparent yellow varnish, and purfling which is represented by two painted ink lines

Currently not on view