After many months of work the new Cozio is finally launched! We have made some major changes, added many new features, and edited the contents of the archive extensively. The goal was to build a 21st-century resource that was comprehensive, accurate, easy to use and one that we can trust.
The new Cozio now incorporates Tarisio’s own extensive photo archives, which added hundreds of makers and thousands of instruments. With over 200,000 photographs, Cozio now contains more high-quality images than ever before.
Technology has come a long way since the Gillott sale of 1872 – but violin expertise in the 21st century remains very much a human undertaking
We have also expanded the auction price history database, made it free to use and added more content. You can now view dimensions, weights, labels, pre-sale estimates and other data, which makes comparing prices much more useful and relevant.
Tarisio has built its reputation by having the best expertise in the business. In envisioning the new Cozio we wanted to apply these same standards to create a framework for authentic and representative examples that would be in line with contemporary expertise. But with over 50,000 instruments and bows in the archive this was no simple task!
In envisioning the new Cozio we wanted to create a framework for authentic and representative examples that would be in line with contemporary expertise
Using technology to complement expertise has been at the core of Tarisio’s values from the beginning. After careful planning we developed a method to pre-qualify the instruments and bows in the archive according to meta-data and historical association: What was the source of the attribution? Are there existing certificates or documents and from whom? Was it previously published in a reliable book or other publication? Using a complicated algorithm we ranked each instrument and determined whether to include it in the public version of Cozio or to wait until more information was available. Then we complemented this process with hundreds of hours of human review.
The process was by no means perfect and Cozio remains a work in progress. We invite your comments and assistance – if you see something missing from Cozio that you think should be included, please let us know and help us keep the information correct and complete. We welcome your comments and participation in this project.
Going forward Cozio has many plans for expansion. The one I am most looking forward to is the Cozio Carteggio project, which is being curated by my colleague and former editor of The Strad magazine, Naomi Sadler. Every week the Carteggio will post a new feature, interview or article. We’ve asked many of the leading experts of the business to contribute. You can expect future articles from Carlo Chiesa, John Dilworth, Pierre Guillaume, Philip Kass, Peter Oxley, Carla Shapreau, Ariane Todes and more. To receive this content by email each week, we invite you to subscribe to the Carteggio Newsletter.
One last thing: the modern era has brought many advances to the field of expertise – digital photography, databases, dendrochronology, CT scans and ultraviolet analysis for example – but the process of expertise remains a human undertaking that needs careful training, a lifetime of study and cautious judgement. We are excited that Cozio can support that process and, with careful curation, can expand our collective knowledge and help build new standards of expertise.
I am looking forward to seeing Cozio grow and develop, and I hope that together with Tarisio it will continue to be a valuable resource for future generations.
We hope you enjoy!
Jason Price
Jason Price is the co-founder and director of Tarisio and is responsible for Tarisio’s expertise in its auctions and private sales in both New York and London.