« Who stands behind the great musician | Home | How to choose the strings »
A violin with Stradivarius name not authentic
Dear Helaine and Joe:
My mother’s father found this violin while cleaning out a house in 1961. Inside the violin, there is a label that reads “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1716″ followed by a symbol. I would like to know the value and whether it is authentic.
Thank you, B. P., Melrose, Ill.
Dear B. P.:
Even though no one is sure of the exact month and day, Antonio Stradivari is said to have been born in 1644. Some believe he might have learned his craft from Nicolo Amanti, but again, no one is sure and this detail is hotly contested.
In any event, Stradivari set up his own shop in 1680 in the town of Cremona, Italy, as a “luthier” - or maker of stringed instruments. We tend to think of Stradivari as being a maker of violins, but he also created cellos, violas, guitars, mandolins, and there is even one extant example of a small harp (he is said to have made three).
His earlier instruments (made from 1680 to 1700) are thought to be inferior to his later pieces, and the so-called “Golden Age” of Stradivari-made stringed instruments is said to be from 1700 to 1720 (he died on Dec. 18, 1737). Stradivari used spruce, willow, and maple to make his pieces and he treated the wood with a variety of minerals including “bianca,” which is a varnish composed of egg white, gum Arabic, and honey.
Over the years since the master made them, these instruments have developed so that they produce a superior tone that many have tried to emulate.
Because of this superior tone and workmanship, musicians want to own a Stradivarius and they are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for examples made before 1700 and millions for those made during the 1700 to 1720 golden age.
In 2006, a Stradivarius (the Latinized form of Stradivari’s surname) known as “The Hammer,” which was made in 1707, sold at auction for $3,544,000. It is reported that other Stradivarius instruments have sold privately for more.
Okay, what are the chances of B. P.’s violin being an authentic “Stradivarius?” worth big bucks? The answer is simple — absolutely none whatsoever. This is a Stradivarius model violin that was probably made in Germany at the turn of the 20th century or even a bit later.
Violins such as this one were largely made for students to learn on, and besides the models with Stradivarius labels there are other examples that are named after famous early violin makers and have spurious paper labels with those names inside the body. These instruments are very common. In our first appraisal clinic many years ago, we saw 18 of these in one day in a small, rural Southern city.
There was a time when all genuine Stradivarius instruments were accounted for, but now we see that a few of them have been stolen and their whereabouts are currently unknown. So care should be taken if offered a violin with a Stradivarius label — it is either a fake, or if it is genuine, it might very well have been stolen.
The value of “Stradivarius model” violins such as the one owned by B. P. is generally in the vicinity of $300 or less if they are in relatively poor condition. The value can approach and slightly exceed $1,000 if the violin in question is in tiptop shape and can be played in a serious orchestra.
By HELAINE FENDELMAN and JOE ROSSON
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the “Price It Yourself” (HarperResource, $19.95)
Topics: violin |
June 21st, 2008 at 10:52 am
My father found an old violin in our attic in the 1950, it reads spelled wrong, CREMON STRAOUARIUS Made in Germany GES GESCH Trade mark Registered Marca REGIST RADA Please help me.Id like to know if its worth anything.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Most probably this is the violin made in Germany as the label indicates. A mark GES GESCH used on some German products to indicate the design is registered or patented. Ges.Gesch is short for “Gesetzlich Geschützt” which translates “legally protected”…as in the design is protected by law, or as some prefer…”patent pending”. Stradivari normally used a printed label that said: “Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis; Faciebat Anno 17__” and has a circular logo device with a cross and the initials AS. The text on this label is in Latin which means “Antonio Stradivari, Cremona (the city he worked in), Made in the Year 17__.” The last two digits of the year were written by hand in pencil or ink. This is the most commonly copied label of all, appearing on untold thousands of shoddy to fair-quality instruments.
The violin is the tool for making music and should be judged (my opinion) from how good it does its job. But the big “BUT” is that the ability to use and produce music differs among musicians. The violin can be perfect for beginner provided it is in good order and has everything in place but may not satisfy advanced player. Usually the violins made in Germany are made in high standard of workmanship. The prices vary in different countries. Please, ask for the price at the local dealer shop.
Birute Kulvis
August 25th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Dear sir; We found this old violin in an atic. It says Gapfretzschner,Markneukirchen Nach Antonius Staduarius Cremonae Faciebat Anne 1716
made in German. Can you tell us if it is worth anything . If you have ant info on this at all ? We would love to know something about it.
Thank you so much
Annie Rose
October 15th, 2009 at 8:55 am
i have a violin that is spelled antonius stradivarius cremonenfis no8 faciebat anno17 .its in really good shape and i was wondering if you can tell me anything about it and its worth. thank you , evelyn wallo
November 8th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Tengo un violin en casa. en su interior dice Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis Faciebat Anno 1716. la leyenda cuenta con dos logos a sus costados: uno con un gallo que dice trade mark y otro que es un circulo con una A y una S y una cruz.
el violin no esta en buenas codiciones, nunca fue tocado por mi familia. tiene solo una cuerda y 3 clavijas, le falta una. los bordes estan muy deteriorados. en la parte de atras del violin tambien esta el sello de trade mark. Por favor contesteme lo antes posible.
desde ya muchas gracias
Romina Carnevale