martin swan

fantastically paradoxical But you're making the same point. "John Dilworth possibly thought ...." seems very weak as attributions go, though whether it's better or worse than "Charles Beare said ..." I couldn't really say.

A certificate of authenticity is worth nothing if it doesn't come from a reputable and widely recognized authority. If you go to someone who is a legitimate writer of certificates, they will never charge you for your time unless they are able to issue a certificate. An appraisal or a valuation is a different matter. In this case people tell you what they think you've got and what it might be worth, and they will charge a fee on that basis. So it would be better to discuss specific cases rather than generalities ...

I would take at face value whatever John Dilworth actually said. He is the principal authority on English violins and he'd be unlikely to be vague! The Vollers and Hart had a known association but this doesn't look much like the violins they made for Hart.

The invoice is presented by the seller in the item photos ....

I don't have an opinion - I'm just quoting the Vichy experts (there is a copy of the purchase ivnoice), and amused that the seller describes the bow as being of "extremely high quality wood".

The VIchy catalogue listing included in the Catawiki photos says that it's amourette ...

1 - looks fine 2 - there is absolutely no way to tell this other than to try it yourself - ten identical bows by the same maker will all sound different 3 - ditto - though in this case we don't know the weight distribution 4 - it's not pernambuco and it's nickel mounted (half-mounted as well) - as such it's definitely at the lower end of Louis Bazin's production and not intended for an advanced player I would never buy a bow without trying it first - most bows that are sold by auction are soft or badly balanced.

Definitely not. There is a huge level of knowledge here on Maestronet and to be frank a lot of shops aren't particularly versed in identification. If you prefer to have an opinion from someone you can stand in a room with, I would go to Tim Wright or Gordon Stevenson (if he hasn't retired).

I agree with some of your observations about the scroll but necks aren’t necessarily original.

Why?

I didn’t and I don’t get much detail when I do. see what you mean about the E peg but is it maybe some kind of planetary peg?

Why not ask Matteo Mazzotti?

Funny - to me it looks like a good and thoughtful setup for an inexpensive violin

No - full size Vuillaume « on generous loan from Beares International Violin Society » To be honest I’m slightly surprised they don’t have a blanket Ryanair ban on their contracts. The idea of someone taking an unprotected violin onto a plane that doesn’t even belong to them is an insurance nightmare.

I think the rule should be that if the value of the violin exceeds the combined annual salaries of the entire crew (including the pilot) then the violin should be given the seat of someone with a severe peanut allergy.