Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1694, the 'Bonvalot, Lady Margaret'
Violin: 52572
Bearing its original label.
Back: One-piece
Top: Fine grain
Scroll: By Stradivari but from another period.
Ribs: Wide curl
Varnish: Red-brown
Length of back: 36.2 cm
Upper bouts: 16.1 cm
Middle bouts: 10.85 cm
Lower bouts: 20.1 cm
There are 8 additional images in the archive which are not available publicly. Please contact us for more information.
Notes:
"The scroll is listed as being "not original and possibly by G. Rocca." This information was taken from a 1929 W.E. Hill & Sons certificate stating the scroll to be the work of Rocca. However, the dealer and restorer Hans Weisshaar subsequently changed the scroll in the 1950s to a later period (golden-period) Antonio Stradivari scroll that matched the instrument. "Correspondence with Cozio member
"The former name of the violin originated from the violinist Cecil Bonvalot, who played in the Pennington String Quartet in the first half of the 20th century... The celebrated violinist Morris Perelmuter King (1909–1993) renamed the instrument 'Lady Margaret' after Margaret Storm, who purchased it for him as a gift in 1950." – Alessandra Barabaschi
Antonius Stradivarius (Volumes I-IV), Jost Thöne, Jan Röhrmann, Alessandra Barabaschi, Jost Thöne, Jan Röhrmann, Alessandra Barabaschi, Antonius Stradivarius (Volumes I-IV), Cologne
Provenance
| until 1882 | George Withers & Sons |
| from 1882 | Captain Sampson |
| 1885-1888 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| from 1888 | Lady Alington |
| until 1899 | Miss Sturt |
| from 1899 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| Dr W.C. Sellé | |
| in 1902 | J. Cowan |
| in 1907 | Sold by Puttick & Simpson |
| until 1928 | W. E. Hill & Sons |
| 1928-1948 | Alfred Cecil Bonvalot |
| 1948-1950 | David Frisina |
| in 1950 | Margaret Storm |
| from 1950 | Morris Perelmutter King |
| in 2010 | Anonymous |
| from c. 2010 | Current owner |
Certificates & Documents
Letter: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1960) To Morris King.
Certificate: Hans Weisshaar, Hollywood, CA (1950)- Certificate: Erich Lachmann, Berlin (1948)
- Certificate: W. E. Hill & Sons, London (1929) States that the scroll was not original, progably by G. Rocca.
- 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
Antonius Stradivarius (Volumes I-IV), Jost Thöne, Jan Röhrmann, Alessandra Barabaschi, Jost Thöne Verlag, Cologne, 2010 (illustrated)- Correspondence with Cozio member, December, 2006
- Tarisio Fine Musical Instruments Online Auction Catalog, March 13, 2009, London, Tarisio, Tarisio, London (illustrated)
- The Jacques Français Rare Violins, Inc. Photographic Archive and Business Records, 1844-1998, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
- Violin Iconography of Antonio Stradivari 1644-1737, Herbert K. Goodkind, Larchmont, NY (illustrated)