Certificates & Documents

• Certificate: Giovanni Accornero, Frassinello Monferrato (2022) Ref 22L P287A30, Lugano. "The front is of two pieces of spruce, showing a medium and regular annual ring spacing. The back is of two pieces of handsome maple, cut on the quarter, showing an attractive and deep flames pattern slightly descending from the center joint. The sides are of the same maple to that of the back and the head is of similar maple. The varnish is of a warm red-orange color laid on a golden ground." Known as "Artot – Duke of Camposelice"; 35.4 cm length of body, upper width 16.8 cm, lower width 20.7 cm. Accompanied by a condition report and CT scan slides.
• Letter: (2021) ALR ref S00211928, signed Julian Radcliffe. Search returned no registration as stolen or missing and no claimant report as a loss between 1933 and 1945. Records current ownership as Giovanni Accornero, private collection, Switzerland, acquired between 2019 and 2020.
• Dendrochronology report: Peter Ratcliff, London (2020) Musical Instruments Dendrochronology Laboratory. Terminus post quem very soon after 1699. Strongest cross-match against the "Chalet Lapé" private Picea abies reference from the Petit Mont, Fribourg Canton (T-value 9.48, overlap 108, Glk 70.1), with significant further matches to Alpine, Austrian and northern Italian masters. Concludes the analysis supports the attributed date of 1709 and links the wood to Stradivari workshop instruments of 1708–1711.
• Certificate: John & Arthur Beare, London (2019) Ref JAB/6304. Issued to Giovanni Accornero, piazza Bernardino Luini 5, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland. "The back in two pieces of maple cut on the quarter and with strong flames of medium width descending slightly from the centre joint; the sides of matching wood, the scroll of similar wood; the table in two pieces of spruce of medium grain; the varnish of a warm orange-red colour on an amber ground." Known as the "Artot"; 35.4 cm length of body, widths 16.8 cm and 20.7 cm.
• Valuation: Henry Werro, Bern (1951) Valuation for insurance, Berne. Certifies the violin in the possession of Mrs Whittome of Farnham, Surrey, and warrants a value of not under £8,000.
• Certificate: Henry Werro, Bern (1951) Issued to Mrs Whittome, Farnham. Original typed date of 18 Jan 1944 struck through and re-dated 10 July 1951 in manuscript. Boden: 2-teilig, herrlich gleichmässig mittelweit geflammt, leicht abwärts neigend. Decke: mittelweit gleichmässig gejährt. Zargen: etwas leichter geflammt als der Boden. Kopf: besonders schön gestochen, breit geflammt. Lack: ein sattes hell Orange-Rot-Braun. Masse: am Boden über Wölbung 354, 167, 111, 207 mm. "Typisches und hervorragend erhaltenes Exemplar, der berühmten "La Pucelle" Violine ähnlich." Photographs of front, scroll and back appended, with the note that the history was recorded by Hill & Sons and belongs with this certificate.
• Letter: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1944)
• Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1944)
• Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1944) Ref OB15/324. Issued to Mr Henry Werro, Berne. "The back, in two pieces, is of handsome wood marked by a curl of medium width, that of the sides being less pronounced, the figure of the head, broad: the table is of pine of even grain of medium width and the varnish, of a rich, light orange-brown colour. This violin is in an excellent state of preservation and is characteristic of the finest examples of the above period of the maker's work, closely resembling that known as "La Pucelle"." Photographs overleaf; accompanied by a separate letter of history of the same date.
• Letter: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1944) Letter to Mr H. Werro, 2 Zeitglockenlaube, Berne, accompanying the certificate of the same date. Gives the history as: the collection of the Duc de Camposelice; one of the solo instruments of Artôt (b.1815, d.1845); on his death to Dvorak, the dealer of Prague; thence to a Berlin dealer; sold to an amateur who on leaving Germany settled in Paris and subsequently disposed of it in England, where it was acquired by Mr R. A. Bower of Minehead, "from whom it now passes into your hands". Compares the violin with "La Pucelle", "The Viotti", "The Ernst" and "The Greffuhle".

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

• Antonio Stradivari and His Instruments, William Henley, Amati Publishing, Ltd., Sussex, 1961 (illustrated)
• Violins & Violinists, March, 1952, Ernest N. Doring, William Lewis & Son, Chicago (illustrated)
• Italian Violin Makers (1964), Karel Jalovec, Paul Hamlyn, London, 1964
• Italienische Geigenbauer (1957), Karel Jalovec, Artia, Prague, 1957 (illustrated)
• W. E. Hill & Sons Photographic Archive (illustrated)