Violin.

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Instrument

Violin/Violins/Strings/Musical Instrument ; Violin

Instrument Family

Strings

Date Made

Late 18th Century

Description

This instrument has a soundboard made of spruce; back, ribs, scroll and neck made of sycamore; fingerboard made of stained rosewood; tailpiece and tail-gut protectormade of ebony; and pegs and endbutton made of boxwood. Medium grained soundboard, ebony/sycamore/ebony purfling, holes at top and bottom for positioning soundboard. Unusual shape of f-holes, the nick in the centre being approached by a smooth curve on alternate sides. Dark brown varnish, opaque in places obscuring the grain. Two piece back, light horizontal figure. Two plugged holes from the back into the top block, signs of earlier plugs in the same spots, one plugged hole from the back into the bottom block. Varnish is cracked on the back. Measurements: Neck 132mm long; fingerboard 263mm long, 19.8mm wide at nut, 44.8mm wide at bottom. Arch of soundboard 17mm; arch of back 15mm. Printed label "REPAIRED BY / JAMES TAYLOR / 9 SCHOOLHILL / ABERDEEN". With single violin case also formerly belonging to William Marshall; overall length 793, overall width 234, maximum height 120, height at front and back 74. Case made of mahogany; the panelled lid and the baseboard cruved over the width; brass handle in top, lock at the front in the centre, hook and eyes at either side; brass hinges at back; inside lined with green cloth, the lower section having a violin-shaped centre with compartments at either side of the neck and at the top; the lid section has turnbuckles for two violin bows. The green cloth has been damaged and torn in places. Letters referring to ownership in the case. Repair History: A great deal of repairwork has been carried out - the ribs were broken in three places at the bottom, and there are six or so repaired cracks in the soundboard, done with varying degrees of skill. Associated with bows (341) and (336). Specific usage history: Played and owned by William Marshall (1749-1833). Scottish fiddler-composer of Keithmore, County of Banff. Previous ownership: After Marshall, acquired by George Hay; purchased by John Gordon Smith of Minmore in 1857 from George Hay; presented to William Marshall Skinner of Drumin, 13th June 1888, by Smith; recieved by J.M. Skinner, October 1904, on the death of William Marshall Skinner; latterly owned by James Hay McInnes Skinner, great-great-grandson of William Marshall. Current ownership: Gift of Colin Marshall Skinner (great-great-grandson of William Marshall) and Mrs. Phyllis Barbara Skinner (widow of previous owner), 1965. (Reid Collection).

Other Information

Specific usage history: Played and owned by William Marshall (1749-1833), Scottish fiddler-composer of Keithmore, County of Banff.

Notes

D. Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

598.

Provenance

After Marshall, acquired by George Hay; purchased by John Gordon Smith of Minmore in 1857 from George Hay; presented to William Marshall Skinner of Drumin, 13th June 1888, by Smith;received by J.M. Skinner, October 1904, on the death of William Marshall Skinner; latterly owned by James Hay McInnes Skinner, great-great-grandson of William Marshall. ; Gift of Colin Marshall Skinner (great-great-grandson of William Marshall) and Mrs Phyllis Barbara Skinner (widow of previous owner), 1965.

Collection

MIMEd ; Reid Collection

Accession Number

0335

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