What is the luthier's label on the F hole of a violin? What's the history like?

Although violin labels contribute absolutely nothing to the sound of a violin, they have always attracted a great deal of attention. How to distinguish real labels from fake labels, what markings and hidden information are there besides them – why do some violins have multiple labels from different manufacturers?

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Overview

• Fiddle Tags – Form and Use
• Brand logos and signatures as alternatives and complements to violin labels
• The history of violin brands
• Authenticating violin labels
• Repair label
• Sources of Violin Label Research

Fiddle Tags – Form and Use

A violin label is the manufacturer's information in the form of a small paper label attached with a little glueviolinwithin the subject. The German word "Geigenzettel" does not just refer to a label in violins, but is also used as a general term - similar to "Geigenbauer" - for labels in violins, violas, cellos and other stringed instruments. Similar markings appear on other instruments as well, and are particularly common on stringed instruments of the European musical tradition throughout the ages.

Traditionally, fiddle tags contain:

• violin maker name
• instructions for location,
• Shouldviolinyear of manufacture,
• If applicable, opus number (opus),
• Graphic mark (logo), often with religious reference,
• Formulas like “fecit” or “me fecit” – “built” or “built me” respectively,
• Graphic decorative elements in the styles of various eras.

However, most violin labels only give the name, location and year. Violin labels are usually affixed to the bottom below the F hole on one side of the bass bar; dimensions usually vary with length, up to about 10 cm, and height up to about 5 cm. Labels are cut from different grades of paper and are usually printed. Fully handwritten violin labels are relatively rare, but have appeared in various periods of violin making history. On the other hand, personal handwritten indications, such as signature, year, and piece number, are common in printed documents and are often used for personal authorizations from violin makers. The year is usually preprinted to the thousands, or rarely to the hundreds, and then added by hand.

Brand logos and signatures as alternatives and complements to violin labels

As an alternative or addition to fiddle tags,violinMarked with brand (also: brand logo) and other handwritten signature. The traditional places to place your brand stamp are on the outside of the back, on the button, or just below it. However, the brand logo can also be found on the inside of the body; some masters even have separate stamps on the top and back to certifyviolinAuthenticity in all its parts. In some cases, hidden flags may also reflect concerns about theviolinMay be anonymized by removal of original tags or claimed by competitors as their own work. The additional handwritten signature often serves the same purpose as the brand mark, but sometimes includes a dedication or reference to biographical or historical data, such as this violin by Louis Moitessier.

The history of violin brands

Like the question of the origins of the violin, the early history of violin labels may end up being hidden from research because the original instruments across Europe have only been preserved since the Renaissance and labels can already be found on them. At the same time, their information always requires historical classification and interpretation, even though they were used in relatively simple hand workshop settings, often run by families, which form an authoritative frame of reference, especially for the early history of violin making, up to the 18th century late century. Therefore, as with all information on a violin label, it does not necessarily have to correspond to the whole truth: especially in established, successful studios,

In addition, with the introduction of "publishing" and the division of labor in industrial production, violin labels increasingly developed into "model labels", more or less referencing mass-produced classical violin models. numbers, but often just to use a big name's voice for advertising, if not to deceive unsuspecting customers. This practice is responsible for the "Stradivarius deluge," the large number of 19th-century Saxon or Mittenwald violins, often well-made copies of historical Stradivarius scores. Although the early days of violin making were always known to be unmarkedviolin, but today violin labels are all quality gradesviolinstandards.

This contrasts with another practice cultivated by the famous Lendro Bisiach House in Milan: the "adopting" of selectedviolin, the instruments are finished to varying degrees in their own workshops and then sold under their own labels. Many outstanding Bisiach'sviolin, now traded at high prices and widely played, all have Saxon origins – receiving not only varnish but also the blessing of the famous master in the form of his notes.

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Authenticating violin labels

The above-mentioned need for interpretation of violin labels naturally raises the question of how to reliably distinguish imitations and forgeries from original labels. rightviolinThe study used paper used, printing techniques, comparisons of content and of course the discovery of the noteviolin. Except as a clumsy forgery or replica that is intentionally kept recognisable, a layperson usually cannot tell whether a note is authentic.

Repair label

Especially the exquisite onesviolinOften double marked, in addition to the manufacturer's label, there are other labels, seals or signatures indicating repairs or alterations - the great master luthier and teacher Otto Merkel in his standard work "Geigenbaukunst" "We strongly condemn this practice": "Furthermore, violin repair labels must not be defaced, but if you do not want to suppress your own vanity, you should also make these labels as small as possible." However, this harsh judgment should be offset by historical honesty and respect for the common manifestations to which restoration notes also represent and have unconditional rights, especially in cases of significant interference with historical documents.