Blank face

Not more defective than this.

Good that nobody has tried to „improve“ the typical varnish.

I don't think that any of these violins is by a Testore, so that's irrelevant here. A thin top is very often an evidence that the violin was regraduated (thinned out) later. Did you use a caliper to check the thickness?

The violin in the video isn't a Neuner & Hornsteiner. I would guess some sort of Meinel or Hamm or related to them, by the look of the scroll, arching and body proportions. They are doing the job also well.

Cultural value surely has lost. I'm wondering if it's possible that such alterations could be forbidden by a law regarding "cultural treasures"? Was the violin even legally exported from Italy or the EU?

When I was walking around with my single bow case I was sometimes asked if I'm carrying a Samurai sword inside this. But not by the police, who knows what they would do now (or in America this days).

I was really serious wondering if that would be necessary, too, for any non-pernambuco bow (Abeille, Amourette, Ironwood etc) to cross or deal over borders. I well remember the time when everyone was panicking to certify their guitars as non-Brasilian rosewood to avoid trouble. Custom officers can’t tell them apart like most of the musicians and could suspect every wood bow as illegal.

Ok, got it. But it's hyper-real.

Sorry, but who would ever have thought that the situation was real??

What was the point of the whole action? The violin was seemingly well preserved and original at the start. i didn't bother to watch and listen the whole four videos.

This corner block doesn’t look like being installed within an inside mould construction, and might have been added, together with the new looking Cbout linings, a certain time after the date of making. I’m also wondering about the (already ruined) scroll, if it is grafted invisible or the neck was elongated at the root? It started surely with a throughneck. The body looks also thickly overcoated and I’m not sure how much of the varnish is original at all. Otherwise it seems to be a rather well made example from that origin and should be worth an effort to get it into a better state.

Another view of the scroll. Can’t be full-size, but doesn’t look like Mittenwald neither.

It could be a special Markneukirchener, with regard to the scroll shape. Small size good French bows aren’t that rare. And yes, hardly a full size. AI says she played a 1/2 at least aged 9 years, but nothing further.

Looks to me like a Markneukirchen (inside work, too), of the rare type with a one piece lower rib. Are there remains of a three letter brand somewhere inside?

I wouldn’t be surprised if she was loaned with something „special„, considering the talent and marketing potential.

Maybe this helps a bit? Looks of rather broad proportions, possibly older than a common Verleger. The scroll missed the usual Hinterkopf, too.

I‘m getting more often than not a new pov on a matter, so don’t get stuck on some nonsense you wrote the other day. You can not step twice into the same river.

How can I remember every little detail I once commented on The violin doesn’t resemble a Ficker at first sight (though it seems to be built on the back). Much too roughly made. But as I said, hard to tell from the pictures.

How many pernambuco blanks are the three guys at the right smuggling?

I don't recall that this particular violin was discussed. It seems to have a later (ungrafted) neck and scroll, but otherwise it's often a guessing game by these unsufficient auction photos, which are usually made to look better than a violin often is. Very seldom the other way round.

It possibly even could be necessary to have a certificate that your bow is not pernambuco, when crossing or shipping it over international borders.

No, the inked purfled with the Hill sold for 20 K (so similar to the former), the last one for 30k. The winner’s bidder name could give a hint to what it might be, or a rough direction.

Even if it was this would not change anything.

I don't think that the original placement off ff is "malfunction" nor that it's "extreme" to preserve it. A lot of historical instruments were destroyed by a similar way of thinking, they had allegedly little or no value. Maybe not unusual in certain environments, but my thought is "Heinrich, mir graut vor Dir".