Emile Marcel Français, Paris, 1935, the 'ex-Yehudi Menuhin'
Violin: 76018
Labeled, "Réplique faite pour Yehudi Menuhin de son Antonius Stradivarius 1733 par Emile Français Luthier du Conservatoire National de Musique Paris No 2 année 1934" and, "Similis sed Singularis."
Bearing the initials "YM" inlaid to the button.
Emile Français made this violin as an exact copy of the 1733 ‘Prince Khevenhüller’ Stradivari and presented it to Yehudi Menuhin on his nineteenth birthday. Interestingly, the original Stradivari was presented to Menuhin seven years earlier on his 12th birthday. In 1956 Menuhin gifted this violin to Paul Shapshak and in 1991 it was sold to David Sackson a violinist in the Phoenix String Quartet. For more information about Menuhin’s violins please read our Carteggio from 2016, as well as Jason Price's recent Carteggio feature.
Back: in one piece of quarter cut maple with medium-width flame descending from the treble side.
Top: in two pieces of spruce with medium-width grain broadening toward the edges.
Scroll: of similar wood.
Ribs: of similar wood.
Varnish: of a dark reddish golden-brown color.
Length of back: 35.9 cm
Upper bouts: 16.8 cm
Middle bouts: 11.4 cm
Lower bouts: 20.8 cm
There are 8 additional images in the archive which are not available publicly. Please contact us for more information.
Provenance
| 1935-1956 | Anonymous |
| 1956-1991 | Anonymous |
| 1991-c. 2009 | David Sackson |
| from c. 2009 | Anonymous |
| in 2022 | Sold by Tarisio |
| from 2022 | Current owner |
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: Tarisio, New York, NY (2022)- Letter: Yehudi Menuhin (photocopy) (1992)
- Letter: Paul Shapshak (photocopy), New York, NY (1991)
Certificate: Tarisio, New York, NY (2022)
Letter: Yehudi Menuhin (photocopy) (1992)
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.)