Posted by Don on March 04, 2004 at 10:01:47:
In Reply to: Re: Petrus Guarnerius Violin posted by sdfffs on January 10, 2004 at 06:37:54:
The only definitive means of identifying authenticity is at the hands of an expert. You probably know all this, but I've pasted a bit of what the Smithsonian says on the subjest below. (BTW, I once knew a Renee Rexrode, this was a 'she', and she hailed from Pottstown, PA.) Good Luck.
Pietro Giovanni Guarneri, born in Cremona in 1655, was the elder son of Andrea. Known as Peter Guarnerius of Mantua, he worked there from 1680 until his death in 1720. His violins are esteemed but not numerous. He probably did not make violas or violoncellos.
Typical label: Petrus Guarnerius Cremonensis fecit Mantua sub tit: Sanctae Teresiae, 1695
The most famous makers of violins, such as Stradivari, Guarneri, Maggini, Amati, da Salo, and Stainer, had many followers and imitators. Often a disciple placed a facsimile label in a violin to acknowledge or honor the master whose model inspired his work. Also, commercially made instruments often bear facsimile labels, and the presence of a label with a famous name has no bearing on whether the instrument is genuine.
Thousands of violins were made in the 19th century as inexpensive copies of the products of great Italian masters of the 17th and 18th centuries. Affixing a label with the master’s name was not intended to deceive the purchaser but rather to indicate the model around which an instrument was designed. At that time, the purchaser knew he was buying an inexpensive violin and accepted the label as a reference to its derivation. As people rediscover these instruments today, the knowledge of where they came from is lost, and the labels can be misleading.
A violin's authenticity (i.e., whether it is genuinely the product of the maker whose label or signature it bears) can only be determined through comparative study of design, model, wood characteristics, and varnish texture. This expertise is gained through examination of hundreds or even thousands of instruments, and there is no substitute for an experienced eye.
: : : I own a violin with a label that states, "Petru Guarnerius Cremonensis Silius Andreae Fecit Mantuae sub tit Sanctae Teresiae 16." It is a very old instrument but has a remarkable tone to it! It is my understanding that a label doesn't necessarily mean it is an authentic instrument. If someone knows anything about this particular label, please respond. Thanks.