Books › The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871 › scan 149
Scan 149
The Violin: A concise exposition of the general principles of construction.., 1871
6 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1The arching of the breast is very peculiar, the curves rising very rapidly to their extreme height from the edges lengthways, thus maintaining an almost even surface upon the upper and middle part of the belly for a considerable length; and at the f holes, the arching descends quite abruptly, giving a somewhat strange appearance to this part of the instrument. The varnish is from a golden to a reddish-yellow tint, of exquisite quality in his best instruments, and in the earlier instruments the wood of the belly is open, but well marked in the grain. In the bellies of some of his later instruments the wood is fine and reedy, whilst the backs and sides are of very choice wood. An immense number of instruments by other Tyrolese makers, who forged the name of Steiner, found their way into the market at an early period, and thus criminally obscured the well-merited reputation of this old master.
3Amongst the numerous violins in the collection of Mr. Lowe of Edinburgh, is one by this maker. Mr. W. Ingram, of Huntly (Aberdeenshire), has a violin also by this maker, bearing the following inscription, "Jacobus Stainer, Cremonen, in Absom, prope cenipontum Cremona, 1647." Another was in the possession of the late Mr. Skene, Tarland. A violin by F. Steiner, dated 1729, is the property of the Rev. D. Wilson, of Fyvie.
5Some time ago I was informed, by a gentleman in Aberdeen, that Viscount Arbuthnot, of Kincardineshire, was the possessor of several excellent Cremona violins, but having communicated more than once
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