Bellini "Lord Wilton" Violin: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This violin was made by Luiz Bellini of Jackson Heights, New York in 1973. Bellini was born in Brazil in 1935. He first trained as a wood worker and later by a local violin maker. In order to advance his violin making skills, Bellini was encouraged to come to New York City in 1960. He trained with Simone Sacconi for two years and later became an American citizen.

This violin is a replica of the "Lord Wilton" violin made Guarneri del Gesu in 1742. The original “Lord Wilton” was owned and played by virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin. This vioin is made of a two-piece table of spruce, one-piece back of maple, ribs of similar maple, an original maple neck, and a semi-transparent golden orange-brown varnish.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1967
• date made: 1973
• maker: Bellini, Luiz
• Object Name: violin
• Measurements: overall: 23 5/8 in x 8 1/8 in x 3 3/4 in; 60.0075 cm x 20.6375 cm x 9.525 cm
• Place Made: United States: New York, Queens, Jackson Heights
• ID Number: 2002.0330.01
• accession number: 2002.0330
• catalog number: 2002.0330.01
• Credit Line: Gift of Ruggiero Ricci
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.