How to Tell a Real Valenzano Violin
Giovanni Maria Valenzano was an Italian master violin-luthier who lived and worked in various European cities, including Asti, Barcelona, Valencia and Rome. According to the instrument valuation membership service Cozio, Valenzano died in approximately 1830 (See Reference 1). Genuine Valenzano violins are extremely valuable today. The Christie's auction house lists one Valenzano with an estimate of $2,290 (See Reference 2). As is typical of iconic and valuable antiques, counterfeits have been produced. Identifying whether your violin is genuine is therefore essential before you decide to sell or insure it.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Place the violin face-up on a soft surface. If necessary, lay a blanket down on your work bench. Do not put the violin down directly onto a hard surface as this can scratch the wood.
-
2
View the label with a magnifying lens. Do not attempt to remove the front of the violin to get a better look. If the violin is genuine, this could drastically reduce the value. The label on a genuine is hand-written. The label cannot prove provenance by itself, but it certainly can disprove it. Valenzano only worked in Asti, Barcelona, Valencia and Rome. If the label is written in any language other than Spanish or Italian, it is not genuine. If the label says the violin was made anywhere other than one of those four cities, it is not genuine.
-
-
3
Inspect the wood. Valenzano violins are characterized by a medium-grain wood finished with a light orange varnish.
-
4
Look for a join in the back of the violin body. Some Valenzano violins have a two-piece back (See Reference 2), some are made from a single piece (See Reference 3). Both methods are typical of many fine violins. However, a fine two-piece back is distinctive. The two pieces are typically from the same piece of wood. If a violin maker found a particularly good piece of wood, rather than cutting out the shape of the violin and discarding the off-cuts, they'd split the wood and join it back together, to save on expensive material. The join is rarely obvious to the naked eye. A hallmark of quality craftsmanship is matching grain, to hide the join. Look at the center of the back of the violin through your magnifying lens and look for subtle changes of color. Also look out for mismatched grain, where the lines don't perfectly join. A hard to identify join is a sign of quality. If the join is obvious, it is unlikely to be a genuine.
-
5
Look for signs of mass-production. The value in all antique, master-luthier instruments is that they were hand-made by the luthier. That's not to say that mass-produced instruments can't be of a high quality, but they do not have the prestige associated with hand-made examples. Glue-seepage around the bindings and rough routing around the F-holes are tell-tale signs of mass-production.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Consult a professional appraiser before taking any financial action concerning your violin, such as selling or insuring it.
Store your violin in a dry, cool place away from direct sunlight.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
