Dear Helaine and Joe: My mother's father found this violin while cleaning out a house in 1961. Inside the violin, there is a label that reads "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1716" followed by a symbol. I would like to know the value and whether it is authentic.
Thank you. — B.P., Melrose, Ill.
Dear B.P.: Even though no one is sure of the exact month and day, Antonio Stradivari is said to have been born in 1644. Some believe he might have learned his craft from Nicolo Amanti, but again, no one is sure, and this detail is hotly contested.
In any event, Stradivari set up his own shop in 1680 in the town of Cremona, Italy, as a "luthier" — or maker of stringed instruments. We tend to think of Stradivari as being a maker of violins, but he also created cellos, violas, guitars, mandolins, and there is even one extant example of a small harp (he is said to have made three).
His earlier instruments (made from 1680 to 1700) are thought to be inferior to his later pieces, and the so-called "Golden Age" of Stradivari-made stringed instruments is said to be from 1700 to 1720 (he died on Dec. 18, 1737). Stradivari used spruce, willow and maple to make his pieces, and he treated the wood with a variety of minerals including "bianca," which is a varnish composed of egg white, gum Arabic and honey.
Over the years since the master made them, these instruments have developed so that they produce a superior tone that many have tried to emulate.
Because of this superior tone and workmanship, musicians want to own a Stradivarius and they are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for examples made before 1700 and millions for those made during the 1700 to 1720 golden age.
In 2006, a Stradivarius (the Latinized form of Stradivari's surname) known as "The Hammer," which was made in 1707, sold at auction for $3,544,000. It is reported that other Stradivarius instruments have sold privately for more.
OK, what are the chances of B.P.'s violin being an authentic "Stradivarius?" worth big bucks? The answer is simple — absolutely none whatsoever. This is a Stradivarius model violin that was probably made in Germany at the turn of the 20th century or even a bit later.
Violins such as this one were largely made for students to learn on, and besides the models with Stradivarius labels there are other examples that are named after famous early violin makers and have spurious paper labels with those names inside the body. These instruments are very common. In our first appraisal clinic many years ago, we saw 18 of these in one day in a small, rural Southern city.
There was a time when all genuine Stradivarius instruments were accounted for, but now we see that a few of them have been stolen and their whereabouts are currently unknown. So care should be taken if offered a violin with a Stradivarius label — it is either a fake, or if it is genuine, it might very well have been stolen.
The value of "Stradivarius model" violins such as the one owned by B.P. is generally in the vicinity of $300 or less if they are in relatively poor condition. The value can approach and slightly exceed $1,000 if the violin in question is in tiptop shape and can be played in a serious orchestra.
Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, 5201 Kingston Pike, Suite 6-323, Knoxville, TN 37919.