Violin made in Saxony, circa 1890
This violin has now sold.
About Saxon violins
This violin was made in Markneukirchen, a small town in the Saxony region of Germany famous for its great number of violin making workshops. The town is less than 10km away from Luby, its Czech equivalent, leading to a great deal of crossover between the two towns.
The town remains active as a centre of violin making today, with over 100 different instrument workshops and a charming museum dedicated to its extraordinary history.
About the violin
This violin was made in Markneukirchen around 1890. It is a workshop violin, meaning that it was made by a number of highly-skilled luthiers working as a team. Each person would have been responsible for a different aspect of the violin´s creation, from roughing out the belly to carving the scroll. This method allowed the workshops to produce a high number of instruments whilst not compromising on quality.
The violin has a two piece back of narrow-flamed maple: the ribs and scroll are of similar wood. The front is two pieces of medium-grained spruce. The varnish is a rich brown colour laid over an attractive golden ground. The varnish has been liberally antiqued.
The violin is loosely modelled after the instruments of Guarneri `del Gesù´ and the length of back is 356 mm.
How does it sound?
This violin is very resonant with an almost trumpet-like quality to the tone. It´s easy to play and produces a brilliant, immediate sound. The first impression is of a loud, projecting violin but there is a good deal of richness and nuance to be found as well. This violin will make someone very happy indeed!
Condition
The violin is in very good condition.