Eastern European Violin

This violin was made in Eastern Europe in the 18th century by an unknown maker. It has a dark, semi-opaque, reddish-brown/black varnish associated with Romany instruments. The archings are of

squarish “hour-glass” form with powerful but tasteful edges and roughly wrought purfling. The scroll is spontaneous, in character with the craftsmanship of the body. The ribs are quite high and hastily bent to shape. These f-holes appear similar to classical Bohemian instruments but lack seriously studied symmetry. Over all, the impression of this instrument is not unlike formal Czech- Hungarian workmanship executed with a very free and casual spirit. This violin is made of a two-piece table of spruce of dissimilar wood with very fine to broad grain, two-piece back of maple cut on the quarter, wholly lacking in figure or strong medallary ray, ribs of similar plain maple, reset original neck of plain maple terminating in a pegbox and closed scroll, three period (original?) pegs of chestnut without figure, and a semi-opaque reddish-brown/black varnish.

Currently not on view