Object Details
- Description
- This violin was made by Antonio Gragnani in Livorno (Leghorn), Italy in 1783. Working in Livorno, Antonio Gragnani (1740-1795) was one of the few Italian makers to utilize whalebone purfling. This violin has characteristic elongated Amati modeling, distinctive narrow extended pegbox with “compressed” scroll, and whalebone purfling. It retains the original neck, bass-bar and varnish in an outstanding state of preservation. This violin of a two-piece table of spruce, back of maple in two pieces cut on the quarter with very fine irregular horizontal figure, ribs of even medium-fine figured maple, an original neck, pegbox and scroll of fine figured maple similar to the back, and transparent orange-brown varnish.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- maker
- Gragnani, Antonio
- date made
- 1783
- Credit Line
- Gift of Cora and Laurence C. Witten II
- Physical Description
- spruce (table material)
- maple (back material)
- Measurements
- overall: 23 3/8 in x 8 1/8 in x 3 3/8 in; 59.3725 cm x 20.6375 cm x 8.5725 cm
- Object Name
- violin
