Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù', Cremona, 1739, the 'Ebersholt, Menuhin'
Violin: 40595
Bearing its original label, "Joseph Guarnerius fecit Cremonae Anno 1739", the last two digits added by hand.
Back: One-piece of medium curl ascending very slightly from left to right
Top: of fine grain in the center, opening out towards the flanks
Scroll: of much fainter curl
Ribs: of curl similar to back
Varnish: Orange-brown
Length of back: 35.2 cm
Upper bouts: 16.7 cm
Middle bouts: 11.2 cm
Lower bouts: 20.5 cm
Provenance
| until 1906 | Caressa & Français |
| 1906-1972 | Juliette Ebersholt |
| 1972-1978 | Yehudi Menuhin |
| in 1978 | Sold by Sotheby's |
| from 1978 | Peter Biddulph |
| until 1980 | Jacques Français |
| from 1980 | Dr Herbert R. Axelrod |
| in 1981 | Roberta Kravitz |
| ... | ... |
| in 2002 | Current owner |
Known players
Joshua Bell, Leila Josefowicz, Mihaela Martin, Nina Beilina, Pavel Berman, Yehudi Menuhin
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: Machold Rare Violins, Ltd, Vienna (2005) X-1732.- Certificate: Peter Biddulph, London (1992) 0192-2.
- Certificate: John & Arthur Beare, London (1981)
- Certificate: Jacques Français, New York, NY (1980) #3065.
Letter: Yehudi Menuhin (1978) To Peter Biddulph.
Cozio holds copies of many certificates and other documents, some of which are available to view on request. Please contact us if you wish to view a particular document. (Note that we do not always have permission to share documents.)
References
Evelyn & Herbert Axelrod Stringed Instrument Collection, Herbert Axelrod (illustrated)- Four Centuries of Violin Making: Fine Instruments from the Sotheby's Archive, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, Boston (illustrated)
- Instrumente der Sammlung Dr. Herbert R. und Evelyn Axelrod, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna (illustrated)
Leila Josefowicz: Portrait of a Woman with Violin- The Strad, November, 1978, Robert Lewin, London (illustrated)
- Ole Bull 2010: Guarneri del Gesu Collection, John Dilworth, Bergen (illustrated)
- Sotheby's Highly Important Musical Instruments Auction Catalog, November 8-9, 1978, London, Sotheby's, Sotheby's, London (illustrated)
- Sotheby's Photo Archive
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (illustrated)
- The Violin Book, Bafalon, London (illustrated)