Violin
1
Photo by Antonia Reeve © The University of Edinburgh
InstrumentViolin |
Instrument FamilyStrings |
Place MadeUnited Kingdom; Europe; Scotland |
Date Made19th Century |
DescriptionThe soundboard of this instrument is made of spruce; the back, ribs, scroll, neck and fingerboard are made of sycamore; the tail-gut protector, pegs, endbutton, and chin-rest (not original) are made of rosewood; the tailpiece (not original) is made of ebony. The instrument is covered in a dark brown varnish and has ebony/sycamore/ebony purfling that is very poorly cut. The notches on the f-holes have only been indicated on the top, not cut all of the way through. The back is made from two pieces of wood, angled so the centre line of the wood goes from the left at the bottom to the right at the top. The purfling on the back is inked on, and there is a plugged hole in the top near the heel. The neck and poorly-cut scroll are made of one piece of wood, the neck having a golden varnish. The paint on the fingerboard has worn away where the player's fingers were placed. Measurements: Neck 132mm long; fingerboard 248mm long, 21.6mm wide at nut, 39.7mm wide at bottom. Soundboard arch 16mm; back arch 17mm. Handwritten inside "Repaired / By Philip Aberdeen". Playing accessories: chin-rest; 2 fine tuners. The fingerboard has been worn so that the stain has rubbed off in places. Repaired crack from the treble f-hole circle to the bottom. Considerable repairwork on the bass lower bout and treble waist ribs. Performance characteristics: Interesting vernacular Scottish violin: pleasant, sweet tone. Specific literature references: Sotheby's auction catalogue 20.05.81, lot 90. Previous ownership: formerly the property of the Scottish traditional fiddler James Scott Skinner (1843-1927). Current ownership: Gift of Sir Gerald Elliot, 1985. |
Other InformationPrevious ownership: Formerly the property of Scottish traditional fiddler James Scott Skinner (1843-1937) |
NotesD. Martin, 1993-94. |
Measurements584. |
Provenanceformerly the property of the Scottish traditional fiddler James Scott Skinner (1843-1927).; Gift of Sir Gerald Elliot, 1985. |
CollectionMIMEd |
Accession Number2453 |