This exceptional French violin is a masterpiece crafted by the renowned luthier Jean Baptiste Colin in Mirecourt, Paris, back in 1901. The violin's exceptional characteristics contribute to the continued popularity of his violins in modern times.
Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin (1841–1923) was a Parisian luthier who crafted violins, violas, cellos, basses, and bows. He established a name for himself in contemporary circles, noted for his fine craftsmanship and the brilliant tonal qualities of his instruments. This French-born luthier produced instruments in the style of Collin-Mezin or Vuillaume. He began his career as an apprentice to his father before moving to Belgium to work with Nicolas-Francois Vuillaume.
In 1868, Colin moved to Paris and began crafting superior violins. As an Officier de l’Académie des Beaux-Arts, he won gold and silver medals in 1878, 1889, and 1900 at the Paris Exhibitions.
Jean-Baptiste Colin, who produced excellent craftsmanship for many years, primarily in Mirecourt and Paris, passed away in Paris in 1923.
The violin's exceptional characteristics contribute to the continued popularity of his violins in modern times.
Lambert-Humbert Frères firm (fl. 1876 – 1969) was a major violin manufacturer in Mirecourt, offering a wide range of models and quality levels, established in 1876 by violin-making brothers Maurice-Emile and Pierre Alexis Auguste Laberte.
This violin features the original label "Made by Ian W. Clarke, Biddeston, Australia. March 1982," identifying it as a handcrafted Australian violin completed in March 1982. Ian W. Clarke (born 1948) is one of Australia's leading contemporary luthiers, having graduated with distinction from the Newark School of Violin Making after winning a Silver Medal at the Cremona Triennale. Since returning to Queensland in 1981, he has continued to build and restore fine stringed instruments from his Biddeston workshop. Crafted during the early years of his Australian career, this violin offers documented provenance, outstanding craftsmanship, and the enduring appeal of an instrument made by one of Australia's most respected living violin makers.
We have here a Carl Ertl violin Made in 1870 in Presburg, Hungary. Carl Ertl is a luthier from Presburg, Hungary whose instruments show the style and designs of Schweitzer and Leeb.
This violin is labelled "Antonius Vinaccia, Napoli in Via Constantinii, a. 1792" and shows evidence of being repaired in 1902. Antonio Vinaccia was a renowned instrument maker in Naples during the mid-18th to late 19th centuries. He was known for making violins in the style of Gagliano and exceptional mandolins. His craftsmanship is preserved in Naples's Museo Spagnuolo (Palazzo degli Studi). Antonio's sons, Gennaro and Gaetano, also became instrument makers.
A violin made and labelled in 1917 by Leandro Bisiach (1864 – 1945) of Milan, an Italian violin maker born in Casale Monferratos, known as the father of violin makers in the Bisiach family.
This German-Made Helmut Illner A-Level Violin Carved and varnished in Germany according to the specifications of German luthier Helmut Illner.
Bearing the label "Laurentius Bellafontana fecit Genuae Anno Domini 1943," this violin is the work of Lorenzo (Laurentius) Bellafontana (1906–1979), a distinguished member of the Genoese school and a pupil of Oreste Candi. The Latin label translates to "Laurentius Bellafontana made [this] in Genoa in the year of Our Lord 1943" and includes his characteristic LBG monogram and handwritten signature. Bellafontana's violins are admired for their refined craftsmanship, warm Italian tone, elegant design, responsive playability, and rich orange-red varnish, making them highly regarded examples of 20th-century Italian violin making.
