Books › Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883 › scan 59
Scan 59
Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
4 lines. Read by computer on 30 September 2026. Printed page 45. See the scan on archive.org.
1holes are somewhat like those of Nicolas Amati, while the purfling is excellent. The varnish is brilliant, but dry. Many of his violins are branded near the button of the tail-piece. A violoncello, one of the finest known specimens of this maker, was shown at South Kensington in 1872.
3Giam-Battista Rugeri was born at Cremona, and was a pupil of Nicolas Amati. He appears to have begun working at Cremona on his own account about the year 1660, as some of his instruments hailing from that town bear this date, and the words "Il per" added to his name. He subsequently went to Brescia, where he worked from about 1670 to the beginning of the following century. In his tickets, dated from the latter town, he drops "Il per" and substitutes "Bonus," an authentic one running as follows: "Io: Bap. Rogerius Bon: Nicolai Amati de Cremona alumnus Brixiae fecit, Anno Domini 1671." His instruments are of first-class quality and are much sought after nowadays. They are of large form, thick in the wood, and the varnish of a deep yellowish-brown. The outline of his model is nearer that of Stradivari than Amati, although the sound holes resemble those of the latter. The ribs are rather high, but the corners and purfling excellent. If a ticket of this maker, given by an anonymous writer, is genuine, it would appear that he also worked at Mantua. It runs, "Gio. Batta Ruggeri fecit in Mantua 16—," but I do not think it has ever been corroborated. Pietro Giacomo Rugeri, son of the preceding, was born in Brescia, about 1675. He worked there from about 1700 to 1725. His violins are of the same type as those of his father, and almost as good.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.