Domenico Busan, Venice, c. 1780, the 'ex-Michael Tree'
Viola: 24218
Labeled, "Dominicus Busan..1780."
Slightly reduced in the upper bouts.
Back: in two pieces of semi-slab cut maple with medium-width, mainly horizontal flame.
Top: in two pieces of spruce with grain of varying widths.
Ribs: and head of quarter cut maple with narrow-width flame.
Varnish: of a dark reddish orange-brown color.
Length of back: 43.25 cm
Upper bouts: 21.6 cm
Middle bouts: 15.3 cm
Lower bouts: 26.7 cm
There are 11 additional images in the archive which are not available publicly. Please contact us for more information.
Notes:
Shown at the Exhibition of Venetian instruments in Boston, May, 2002.The Violinmakers of Venice, The Violinmakers of Venice: 1582-1885 (CD-ROM), Boston
In the Busch Quartet, [Gottesmann]] performed on a small Domenico Busan viola which Rudolf Serkin borrowed from Austrian collector Elisabeth Bondy, widow of Oskar Bondy.
– Tully Potter, Adolf Busch, ‘Life of an Honest Musician’, Toccata Press, 2010
Provenance
| 1946-1951 | Elisabeth Anna Bondy |
| until 2011 | Anonymous |
| in 2011 | Sold by Tarisio Private Sales |
| from 2011 | Anonymous |
| from 2021 | Current owner |
Known players
Hugo Gottesman, Michael Tree
Certificates & Documents
Certificate: Tarisio, New York, NY (2021)- Certificate: John & Arthur Beare, London (2011)
- Dendrochronology report: John C. Topham, Surrey Dating the youngest tree ring to 1728.
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
- The Strad, February, 1994, Daniel Whitman, Orpheus, London
The Violinmakers of Venice: 1582-1885 (CD-ROM), Reuning & Son Violins, Boston (illustrated)