Circa 1800 Carl Friedrich Glass Violin

Carl Friedrich Glass (Fl. 1791-1810) was a German maker from Klingenthal, Saxony who belongs to a group of makers often referred to as Hopf School. Having said that, this is more true of his earlier work, which was decidedly more crude than his later fabrications, often built on the back and typically without linings or purfling. His later work was demonstrates more finesse, presenting with flatter arching and built upon a Stradivari inspired form. This violin likely dates close to 1800, making it some 220 years old, and already demonstrates finer craftsmanship and more meticulous detail work, with flatter arching, but not yet reminiscent of Stradivari in any meaningful way. It is fully lined and has four corner blocks, with a one piece back and well selected spruce for the table, with the golden yellow varnish that permeated German violin making of the area in that era; presenting in excitingly well preserved condition and what I hesitate to but can’t help calling an absolutely scrumptious patina and delightfully idiosyncratic volutes to the scroll.