Russian Model Violin: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This violin was made in Markneukirchen, Germany around 1880. It is a commercial instrument in Russian form which is constructed with ribs that bulge out from its sides. The edges of the body and ribs are rounded to form a continuous curve with the archings of the table and back. From the plan view the ends of the corners terminate as points. The closed scroll with two volutes and pegbox are rounded en suite with the body. The bass bar is carved from the graduations of the table.

On page 52 in his 1882-83 catalog, J. Howard Foote describes this instrument (#5880) among the “GERMAN VIOLINS, Russian Model ... Dark red, rounded edges, beautifully made, ebony trs., Russian Style ... $120.00 Per Doz."

The violin bears a reproduction Rubus label and is made of a two-piece table of spruce, two-piece back of maple with fine, irregular descending figure, ribs are of similar maple, neck of moderately figured maple with stylized rounded pegbox and scroll, and an opaque brown varnish heavily shaded to imitate wear and age.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1878 - 1882
• Object Name: violin
• Physical Description: ebony (tail pieces; finger board; tuning pegs material)
• Physical Description: spruce (table material)
• Physical Description: maple (back material)
• Measurements: overall: 35.5 cm x 20.5 cm; 14 in x 8 1/16 in
• Place Made: Germany: Saxony, Markneukirchen
• ID Number: MI.055678
• catalog number: 55678
• accession number: 11535
• Credit Line: Gift of J. Howard Foote
• 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.