French Violin
date: label: Date made
content: 1878 - 1882
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This violin was made in Mirecourt, France around 1880. This instrument, with shaded varnish to imitate age and wear, is based on a model of violins by Joseph Guarneri “Del Jesu.” It is described in Foote's 1882 catalog as “No. 5928 Copy of Guarnerius, extra fine quality, beautiful oil varnish, plain ebony trimmings $22.00.” Four Guarneri models are listed in the catalog in the French violin group, ranging in price from $10.00 to $35.00 each. This violin is the next to the most expensive.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Many large and oversized violins like this (with 14¼ inch body length) were made in Mirecourt. A second Smithsonian example is catalog #72846. These two instruments have similar archings and outlines, both have pearwood purfling, and are listed in the Foote catalog at the same price and “extra fine quality” under French copies of old masters. The second instrument, with a different design of f-holes, is identified as a copy of Stradivarius.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>This violin has a printed reproduction Guarneri label and is made of a two-piece table of spruce, two-piece back of maple with even, medium-fine ascending figure, ribs of moderately figured maple, neck, pegbox and scroll of faintly figured maple, and a yellow-brown varnish.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: France: Grand Est, Mirecourt
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.055682
label: catalog number
content: 55682
label: accession number
content: 11535
objectType: label: Object Name
content: violin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: spruce (table material)
label: Physical Description
content: maple (back material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 23 3/4 in x 7 1/4 in x 3 1/2 in; 60.325 cm x 18.415 cm x 8.89 cm