THE VALUE OF VIOLINS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 5, 24 July 1878, Page 2

THE VALUE OF VIOLINS.

' At • lute tale in Paws, an iaitramenfc of the oliM known to amateurs m a 'Violin d' 1 autew, 11 was pat np»to pnblio compete iibnv the-* author-' of the violion in qtwstion b*ing tht» world 1 famed Stradi? iriui, Tho treasure wns.uMmatoly knocked* down for tho large sum of 22,100 f., a» altno«t unprecedented prfoo for even a Sfcradfrarius of 10 late n date at 1709; An authentic violin of thw maker il indeod ft pearl of great price. The dome,, or upper part of a perfect tpteiraen of '•tothier/ 1 of Cre* mon*,. should be a littfo moro deprossod than one of AmatPs violins* Tbovoimof the wood forming the- body should bo widely separated from* eaoh other,, and of tho same length throughout their entire bioadth. Spoakinggonorally a Stmdf rariM should bo Alter than- any Ottter violins prooeoding from tho historio factories of Oromona. Tho sounds prodaoed from a Stradtvanut may bo oomparcd to those of tho flute, just as the dtapss a of the almost equally famous fiddlers of Stoinor (in whioh tho dom"* are loftfer) may be compared to tho clarionot. A Stoiner should bear the autograph of tho makor, the head should be that of a lion, and the varnish a roddish yeltow or- dark brown sionna. Contemporary wftb Stradivarius woro the throe fiddle makers of Cromona i Goronimo Antonio, and Niaol'o Amati, but Stradirarim had a worthy pnpil nndaaocossor in Gnarorint or Qunrerini, who carried on his work far into the nineteenth

oontury, Ho was in his aonith no a tnanu* facturor about 1720. Jacob Stainor who most nearly approached the Crernoneae was a native of the Tyrol, from whence also camo two dißtingui»he<l makers, Kloti, fathorand son. The fiddles ol Ataolins, dolla Ciaja are also mooh esteemed. It should be noted that a reputed Cremona muni possest an authenticated pedigree to. obtain exceptional value, a large number of imitation* and) forgeries bciagia the market.