Guarneri violin - Joseph Guarnerius Cremonae 17__ IHS violin Start Price USD 10,000.00 Current Price USD 10,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, December 02, 2008 End Time Friday, December 12, 2008 Location nashua, nh See more about 'Guarneri violin - Joseph Guarnerius Cremonae 17__ IHS' Description  The Violin Makers Of The Guarneri Family ( 1626 - 1762 )The { Guarnerius } Violin is 2nd only to the { Stradivarius } Violin.... Or So Some Say.......Others Say The Guarnerius is the most Prized Of All Violins HISTORY The violin emerged in Italy in the early 1500's and seems to have evolved from two medieval bowed instruments--the fiddle, also called vielle or fiedel, and the rebec--and from the Renaissance lira da braccio [ a violin-like instrument with off-the-fingerboard drone strings ]. Also related, but not a direct ancestor, is the viol, a fretted, six-string instrument that appeared in Europe before the violin and existed side by side with it for about 200 years. The earliest important violin makers were the northern Italians Gasparo da Salo [1540-1609] and Giovanni Maggini [1579-c. 1630] from Brescia and Andrea Amati [c.1520-c. 1611] from Cremona. The craft of violin making reached unprecedented artistic heights in the 17th and early 18th centuries in the workshops of the Italians Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri, both from Cremona, and the Austrian Jacob Stainer.                                                                                                                                                                                                               GUARNERI { gwar-nay'-ree} (Fami A family of violin makers in Cremona, Italy, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Guarneris, along with the Amati and Stradivari families, brought the art of violin making to it's peak. While the Amatis and Stradivatis confined them selves to Cremona, the Guarneris established branches in Mantua and Venice. Guarneri violins followed the patterns and traditions of the Amatis until the time of Giuseppe del Gesu, whereas the Stadivaris evolved thier own lines. Andrea Guarneri, [born c. 1626, died dec.7th 1698], was a fellow apprentice of Antonio Stradivari in the Amati workshop. His sons Pietro Giovanni Guarnieri [known as Peter of Mantua to avoid confusion with his nephew], [born nov. 25th 1666, died c.1740], continued their father's traditions with minor variations. In the third generation, Pietro Guarneri (Peter of Venice), [born april 14th 1695, died april 7th, 1762], incorporated aspects of Venetian instuments into his own, and his brother Giuseppe Guarneri, [born aug. 21, 1698, died oct. 17th, 1744], became the finest violin maker of the Amati line. Giuseppe is known as "del Gesu" because of the initials I. H. S. and a cross inscribed in his violins. He deviated widely from family tradition, developing instruments uniquely his own, second in quality only to those of Stradivari. Giuseppe del Gesu and Peter of Venice may have been cousins rather than brothers, and Peter of Venice may have been the son of Peter of Mantua. One of del Gesu's violins was played by Niccolo Paganini and is still on display in Genoa Italy. ****FAMILY TREE**** Genealogical Table Of The Guarneri Viloin~Makers The Genealogical Table Below Does Not Show All The Family Members & Their Children As It Only follows The Family Lines Of The Famous Guarneri Violin Makers.... ***{View Page At Maximum Size}*** BARTOLOMEO GUARNERI (Profession unknown) Died prior to 1687 l 1 ANDREA GUARNERI Born c. 1626 Died 7th Dec. 1698 Married Anna Marie Orcelli, 1652 7 Children 1 1 -------------------------------------------------------------- 1                                                                          1 1                                                                          1           PIETRO GIOVANNI GUARNERI                                GIUSEPPE GIOVANNI BATTISTA GUARNERI           (know as "Peter Guarnerius of Mantua")                      (known as "Joseph Guarnerius filius Andrea")    Born 18th Feb. 1655                                                                      Born 25th Nov. 1666    Died at Mantua, 26th March 1720                                                      Died 1739-40              Married (1) Caterina Sassagni, 1677                                         Married Barbara Franchi, 1690 Married (2)Lucia Burani, 1694                                                                  6 Children           6 Children                                                                    1                                                                                          1                                                                                           1                                 ----------------------------------------------------------------                                  1                                                                             1                                  1                                                                             1                               PIETRO GUARNERI                                               BARTOLOMEO GIUSEPPE GUARNERI            (know as "Peter Guarnerius of Venice")                           (know as "Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu")                     Born 14th April 1695                                                                  Born 21st Aug. 1698                     Died 7th April 1762                                                                     Died 17th Oct. 1744     Married Angiola Marie Ferrari, 5th April 1728                 Married Catterina Roda, or Rota c. 1722~23                              10 children                                                                                     No Children----A nice fact to know--Five years ago, violinist Robert McDuffie found his true love: a 1735 Guarneri del Gesù violin known as The Ladenburg, whose list of players included 19th-century virtuoso Nicolò Paganini. McDuffie says it was the violin he always longed to play.This original cost $3.5 Million!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+As you may be aware, original labels were regularly removed from instruments by violin houses of note; they were collected like postage stamps, for reference purposes.  At Rembert Wurlitzer, for an example, it fell to Dario and Hans to put the (expertly made) reproduction labels substituted inside the lining of their shoes. & After several days of wear, they assumed the proper "aged" appearance. paper for these was cut from the flyleaves and endsheets of period books.  Several such notable collections of labels are in existence - at least one is in the New York area; there are several others in England and France.  This is no great secret within "the trade," although certainly not acknowledged publically for obvious reasons.  You need not post this, but should be aware that this sort of thing has been going on for well over 100 years, and is a factor in your equations.   The Guarneri Viloin Labels Page Giuseppe del Gesu, contradictory though it seems, was most consistent as regards the form, figures, and composition of his label; he began by ignoring his parentage and Patron Saint, and he did not once vary the wording, or make any alteration whatsoever throughout his career. The type used for the printing is similar to that seen in certain of the labels of his father and grandfather, those of the years 1690 to 1694 and 1714 to 1731. Note the spelling of "Cremone" with a cedilla under the c, and his adoption of the cipher I.H.S., His figures were well formed, the 17 always printed, the others added by hand; and in this connection we note a slight yet curious addition from time to time; he added two more strokes ( we have seen three ) with his pen when putting in the figures, and these strokes are found under the last figure of the date and the first letter of the monogram, Other than this curious feature we have observed no change; nor have we, as previously stated, ever come  across a marginal note, or a line of his handwriting. In a quite appreciable number of reproductions of the master's label it will be found that "Cremonae" is spelled with a diphthong ( see the fathers labels of 1714 and 1731 ), but we have never in our experience come across an authentic label so spelled. Vidal reproduces a ticket so worded, taken from the fine Guarneri violin ex Alard, now reposing in the "Museum of the Paris Conservatoire of Music". We have been privileged to scrutinize this superb example on several occasions, and we do not believe its label to be an original. We would add, however that a doubt as to the correctness of our judgment might be legitimately raised, for the inscription is obviously old, and printed in characters of the period; yet the fact remains that we have never in a single instance met with another authentic violin of the master bearing an original and similar label, nor do the figures f the ex Alard satisfy our scrutiny. The last reproduction of those given is a replica of that frequently found in Guarneri copies, the work of Vuillaume, and which were labeled by him; the spelling of Cremona will be noted as also the fact that the whole inscription is not a close imitation of an original.Please check out labels posted to give you and idea of what an original looks like. NOTE:The "I.H.S. del Gesu & a Cross"  inscribed on the instrument.....I have been told by several sources that such violins were mass produced in Germany, & France.... by the hundreds up and into the 18th century..and are worth from anywhere from $7,000 dollars and up today depending on the instrument's condition. A real "Guarnerius del Gesu" violin would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and more.....Most are in safe keeping or on display in Museums. A fine copy of such a rare instrument is sought out by true collectors with a fine taste for its rarity.Some personal history:This has been passed on to me by someone who's father's grandfather had owned through the early 1920's. It has been made in Germany.  The violin will come in its original wooden case, which has a small key for the lock.  As far as I can tell there seems to be no repairs on the instrument. Just the basic wear and tear. The finish on it is great. Slight stress cracks right behind the bridge (very common due to its age) Overall appearance and quality of this instrument is superb. This is a rare find and sought out by many collectors.I have included pics so feel free to browse through and ask any questions that you may have. The pictures bellow are of 2 original labels taken off the internet showing what an original label made by Guarnerius would look like. The one on the violin is just like them for the exception of a cross over the IHS.My instrument pics were not very clear so it seems hard to read from the pictures.NOTE: the label is in excellent condition and easily readable!!! Label is as old as the violin and its the original. It also shows a faded out 24 after the 17__ so under good light one can see 1724. Place a Bid!