Andrea Amati, Cremona, 1566, the 'Charles IX of France'
Violin: 42362
Labeled, "Fait par Andre Amati en 1566 sous le règne de Charles IX"; also repairer's label, "Restauré par N. Lupot à Paris en 1818."
Back: One-piece maple of radical cut, with a very marked medium curl; with faded ornamentation
Top: of spruce, medium-grained in the center, getting narrower towards the edges
Scroll: original, of wood similar to back
Ribs: of wood similar to back; part of the king's motto, "Pietate et Justitia" is still legible
Varnish: Orange brown
Length of back: 35.1 cm
Upper bouts: 16.25 cm
Middle bouts: 10.75 cm
Lower bouts: 20 cm
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Notes:
"This violin came from a group of instruments made for the Court of King Charles IX of France and is one of the last four that have survived. It is in excellent condition and traces of the original gold coat-of arms used by the King of France can still be seen on the back. The ribs bear the motto "Pietate et Justitia."""It [the front] is so similar to the wood used for the Oxford viola to give support to the supposition that the two fronts were taken from the very same tree."
Andrea Amati Opera omnia: Les Violons du Roi, Fausto Cacciatori, editor, Andrea Amati Opera omnia: Les Violons du Roi, Cremona
"The instrument bears a restoration label of the Parisian violinmaker Nicolas Lupot dated 1818. The text indicates Andrea Amati as the author and the construction date of 1566 [under the reign of Charles IX]."
Andrea Amati Opera omnia: Les Violons du Roi, Fausto Cacciatori, editor, Andrea Amati Opera omnia: Les Violons du Roi, Cremona
Provenance
| until 1574 | King Charles IX of France |
| ... | ... |
| in 1872 | Charles Willemotte |
| Charles F. Edler | |
| Oscar Vornbaum | |
| 1904-1906 | August Herrmann |
| 1906-1909 | Willy Burmester |
| in 1909 | Sold by August Herrmann |
| 1909-1950 | Kurt Frankel |
| in 1950 | Sold by Emil Herrmann, New York |
| 1950-1965 | Henry Hottinger |
| 1965-1966 | Rembert Wurlitzer Inc. |
| from 1966 | Town of Cremona, Museo del Violino |
Known players
Gil Sharon, Willy Burmester
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: Rembert Wurlitzer Inc., New York, NY (1966)- Certificate: Emil Herrmann, New York, New York, NY
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
…And They Made Violins in Cremona from Renaissance to Romantic Era, Conzorzia Liutai & Archetti A. Stradivari Cremona, Cremona (illustrated)- Ars Musica, Aloys Greither, Bayer AG, Heft 6 (illustrated)
- Triennale internazionale degli strumenti ad arco, Cremona (illustrated)
- Amati in concert: 500 years of heritage, Andrea Amati 500 Foundation, Maastricht (illustrated)
- Andrea Amati Opera omnia: Les Violons du Roi, Fausto Cacciatori, editor, Consorzo Liutai Antonio Stradivari, Cremona (illustrated)
- Cremona's Instruments, Charles Beare, Bruce Carlson & Andrea Mosconi, cremonabooks, Cremona (illustrated)
- Giuseppe Guarneri, detto del Gesu', Elia Santoro, Editrice Turris, Cremona (illustrated)
- Gli Strumenti di Cremona, Charles Beare, Bruce Carlson & Andrea Mosconi, Cremona Books, Cremona (illustrated)
- Henry Hottinger Collection (illustrated)
- Arte Liuteria, 1986, No. 2, Maria Chiara Mocali, Florence (illustrated)
- Private Archives - 10842
- The 'Secrets' of Stradivari, Simone Fernando Sacconi, Eric Blot Edizioni, Cremona (illustrated)
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Box 56
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (illustrated)
- Violinari e Violini: Gli Amati e I Guarneri a Cremona tra Rinascimento e Barocco, Elia Santoro, Sanlorenzo, Cremona (illustrated)