Brass-mounted Double Violin Case, Possibly the Workshop of Antonio Stradivari, 18th Century

Description:

Brass-mounted Double Violin Case, Possibly the Workshop of Antonio Stradivari, 18th Century, tooled leather-bound and tack-decorated, the domed lid monogrammed I Rz, ht. 6 3/4, wd. 30 3/4, dp. 11 1/2 in.

Provenance: The collection of Dr. Glenn P. Wood.

Literature: The Art & History of Violin Cases, 2008, pp. 18-19, illustrated.

N.B. "The hand embossed decoration (originally gilded) on the lid of this case includes the masonic symbol of the 'all seeing eye.' It is not a standard bookbinders' pattern and suggests a special commission.

We have argued that this case was created in the Stradivari workshop, c. 1700. It seems that it also passed through the workshop of W.E. Hill & Sons who recognised the elegant and unique form when they created an homage to it early in the 20th century.

The extraordinary Hill case has an identical outline and several other similarities to our case. It is currently owned by the Italian violin maker Alfredo Primavera who, understandably, declined to sell it to me in 2009!"
G.P.W.
Estimate $3,000-5,000


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