A friend just showed me his old violin which he wants to sell.
I know nothing about the things, this being the first violin which I
have touched in my lifetime.
Inside is a paper label:
Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis [I think the "f" is a "ss"]
Faciebat Anno 1723 [the "23" is handwritten]
AS [in a circular symbolic device]
Pressed into the wood on the back is:
Wilhelmj
There is no "reproduction of", "copy of", or "in the style of" that I
can find.
There is no post inside of the body under the bridge. Then again,
there is no bridge either, :(so a post could have long ago fallen
out): .
There is doodling on the wooden parts. This looks like part numbers
to me, but my 18th century Italian is kinda weak. ;)
The owner says that Smithsonian thought that it was real, based on a
videotape. They wanted him to give it to them. This is undocumented,
the letter supposedly lost by his sister in a move.
Questions:
#0. Can anyone put me in touch with someone who might know something
about this?
#1. Is this for real? From its looks, I could be convinced that it
has been around for 250 years. But, do Stradivarius violins normally
come to light in a hillbilly shack in Kenutcky??
#2. Is it valuable? It is in unplayable condition. There is a crack
across the top. No bridge, no strings. There is some glue on the
side which is on top of the varnish [presumed later in time].
#3. Where is the market? What is it worth?
Any ideas?
I have some 35mm prints which might help in identification.
Please don't suggest that he take it to the local violin shop. There
is no such thing out here:
on the edge of _,,-^`--. [log in to unmask]
The Boonies .__,-' \ David P Beiter
halfway between _/ ,/ 1/2 Fast Road
Slavans & (__,---------*-'' Ritner, KY 42639
Freedom via canoe. ^Ritner, KY 606/376-3137
It's times like these that I wish that I knew more fiddlers and fewer
microbiohydrogeochemists.
|
