Prop violin used by Lindsey Stirling in "Beyond the Veil" music video: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Prop violin used by Lindsey Stirling in the music video for her song "Beyond the Veil." The wooden violin was made in Czechoslovakia in the 20th century and it bears a fake Stradavari label; the actual maker is unknown. In the video, Stirling is shown waking up on a beach to see a girl running into the sea; the girl is holding this violin. As Stirling pursues the girl through the water, she discovers an underwater fantasy world. That plot line is intercut with footage of Stirling playing a different violin on the beach and in a forest.

Lindsey Stirling is an American musician, dancer, and songwriter known for blending a diverse variety of musical styles including classical, pop, rock, and electronic influences with dance performance. As a contestant on season five of the television series America’s Got Talent in 2010, Stirling gained an enthusiastic following among viewers who enjoyed her unique dance and violin performances, but was voted off by the celebrity judges in the quarter finals. Undaunted by their criticism, Stirling started posting music videos online in 2011, pairing mash-ups of electro-pop styles with lively steps and twirls in settings often drawn from video games or movies. Her posts inspired millions, then billions, of fans worldwide and revealed how audiences and entertainers could forego traditional tastemakers and gatekeepers to build powerful connections directly through digital platforms.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 20th century
• associated date: 2014
• performer: Stirling, Lindsey
• Object Name: violin
• Physical Description: string (overall material)
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 22 1/2 in x 8 in x 3 in; 57.15 cm x 20.32 cm x 7.62 cm
• place made: Czechoslovakia
• ID Number: 2015.0303.03
• accession number: 2015.0303
• catalog number: 2015.0303.03
• Credit Line: Gift of Lindsey Stirling
• 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.