German Violin
date: label: Date made
content: 1878 - 1882
notes: label: Description
content: This violin was made in Mittenwald, Germany around 1880. In the 1882-83 catalog of J. Howard Foote, this violin is among a group that “represent a line of cheap German Violins, which for workmanship and finish is not equaled by any similar goods in the market: No. 5857 Beautifully made, white or natural color of wood, with three elegant pearl inlayings on back, in Grecian scroll work, etc. ... $108.00 per dozen.” The double purfling on the table and back is augmented by a central ornamental purfling with shards of pearl imbedded in black pastiche and similar small ornaments at the top and bottom block areas. While the violin is constructed with complete spruce linings and blocks, for economy the bass bar is carved in place from graduations of the table. This violin is made of a two-piece table of spruce, back of maple in two pieces with broad horizontal figure and ornamental inlay, ribs of medium-fine figured maple, neck, pegbox and scroll of moderately figured maple, fingerboard of spruce with a veneer of stained pear wood, and a colorless clear varnish.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: Germany: Bavaria, Mittenwald
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
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content: Music & Musical Instruments
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content: Violins
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Densmore, Frances. Handbook of the Collection of Musical Instruments in the United States National Museum.
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of J. Howard Foote
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.055676
label: catalog number
content: 55676
label: accession number
content: 11535
objectType: label: Object Name
content: violin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: mother of pearl (inlay material)
label: Physical Description
content: spruce (table material)
label: Physical Description
content: maple (back material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 35.7 cm x 20.65 cm; 14 1/16 in x 8 1/8 in