A Charming Lionhead Violin From Mittenwald, Second Quarter 19th Century.

Nestled at the seat of the Karwendel Mountains, Mittenwald is a proverbial Mecca for German lutherie and the artisanal instrument craft, rich in history and steeped in traditions some 300 years and more in the making. The surrounding forests which reach high above the little Bavarian town supplied the craftsmen of old with high quality spruce of most admirable tonal qualities, a fabled resource that modern makers continue to draw from to this day. The State Vocational School For Instrument Making trains the legends of tomorrow and traces its roots back to 1858, sitting almost a stone’s throw from the Geigenbaumuseum. And at its heart, a statue of Matthias Klotz, father to a dynasty of luthiers which heralded the town makers’ guild and comprised many of the luthier school’s original faculty.

This charming second quarter 19th century violin from Mittenwald bears a figural head, a more mythical interpretation of a lion, and of somewhat more detailed variety than those that prevailed towards the latter half of the 1800’s. Its natural aesthetic is richly textured and highly shaded but also demonstrates lifetimes of patina and wear commensurate with daily use. Altogether, presenting in good order, with evidence of minor repairs and several faux cracks, lightly scribed and presumably original to its make . Curiously, a wax seal hints at a long since worn emblem below the button on the back, the corpus of which measures at a petite 351mm. It possesses a sweet sound that is at once both silvery and full, and delivers a clarity of intention with gratifying overtones.