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Instrument Information

Title

Violin

Accession Number

6618

Collection

MIMEd

Date Information

Date Made

1873

Gallery Information

Gallery

Wolfson Gallery

Case

Lutes case 8

Maker Information

Maker Name

Alexander Murdoch (b.1815, d.1891)

Made In

City

Aberdeen

Country

Scotland

Description

Technical Description

This violin has a soundboard of spruce; ribs, back and scroll of maple; fingerboard, tailpiece and chin rest of ebony; pegs of pear Hill/heart style with ivory mounts. The instrument has a brown varnish and purfling of dark/light/dark wood. The soundboard grain is of variable width. Belly has high arching. Back of book matched figured maple. Currently strung with four metal strings.

Measurements:
Overall length: 610mm
Neck length: 129mm
Fingerboard length: 267mm
String length: 335mm
Neck width at nut: 25mm
Fingerboard end width: 46mm
Body length: 354mm
Width of upper bout: 162mm
Width of lower bout: 203mm.

Cultural/Historical importance: Alexander Murdoch is described as a self-taught violin maker, though the formulaic construction of his instruments, such as this one here, suggest at least a degree of training. This training is likely to have come from Thomas Jamieson, whose instruments share many similar characteristics with Murdoch’s. Murdoch was known to reject the classical violin styles of European makers in favour of regional making techniques. His works ranged from upmarket styles to lower-grade works which lacked purfling and were often varnished in thinner, blue toned varnishes. This instrument is an example of his more upmarket works, with well-crafted purfling and brown varnish.

Classification

Instrument

Violin/Violins/Strings/Musical Instrument ; Violin

Instrument Family

Strings