1/16-Size French Violin, ca. 1860
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GUEST:
This was my mother's violin, and she started playing violin when she was 18 months old. This is in 1917. Her father was a violin instructor in Canton, Ohio. And this is her first violin, which is a one-16th size violin.
APPRAISER:
This is really unusual in that it's a small violin. It's made with spruce for the belly, and then maple for the back sides, neck, and the scroll. That's absolutely traditional, and it's made with a high quality of craftsmanship. It was carved beautifully. The other thing is the quality of the varnish. It's very typical of the French period, about 1860-1870, so this violin had some age when your grandfather found it for your mother. You can tell that it's been very well respected over the years. It's in amazingly good condition. Because it's so old and so rare, it's gonna have some value in the marketplace. Since the 1970s, there's been lots and lots of making of small instruments for children because of the Suzuki method of training. So for this period, to find something like this is quite unusual. In a retail setting, I would say that this violin has a value of $1,500 to $2,000.
GUEST:
That is wonderful, but you know, it'll stay in the family
Appraisal Details
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