GeorgeH

Well, the water does evaporate, so it must do something. I think the humidifiers using hydrogels are far superior, though.

That is odd, isn't it? I wonder if the shop is closed.

"Fratelli" means "Brothers" in Italian. There is a Faruolo shop in New York - they might know something. Perhaps give them a call. http://www.andriusviolins.com/index.shtml

Nice post. I have wondered if anybody has seen a violin with a skull facing toward the player in the orientation of a lion's head scroll. Kind of a violin vanitas.

One way to tell is that silver tarnishes black/gray whereas nickel tarnishes greenish.

What about the back? Yes, @jamesbuchanan thank you. You may also want to change the description of the label in the text of the listing to "1785," but to my eye that date is illegible. The "3" could be a "5" as much as it could be an "8." Can you tell the neck length?

Check to see if the scroll is grafted.

Pricing discussions here can be problematic because different people have many different opinions across a wide range based on many things such as experience, geographic location, and whether they are retail buyers, sellers or dealers, or hobbyists. In your case it is impossible to give an informed opinion because one cannot tell the condition of the instrument, including things such as set-up, un-repaired damage, and prior repairs.

It is a cello bow.

I understand your point. And @jacobsaunders's. And @Blank face's. I am curious about the neck length, and why there are 3 pins in the button. The button also looks tampered with. Back to the OP's question and assuming that it is an authentic Eberle and the back is in reasonable shape, would this be a candidate for a making a new historically-correct top as opposed to trying to restore the current one? I am wondering if it makes more sense economically and also gives a better possibility to end up with a violin that sounds good. What do you think of the condition of the back? Are there filled-in worm holes?

This violin has everything @jacobsaunders loves - from a torn (insect eaten?) apocryphal label with an impossible date to f-holes apparently gnawed on by mice. And then there is the mysterious "gesu maria" label on the top block. Was this violin once owned by a Church? My initial comment was based on the lot title. I had not seen the label or more aptly the remnants of it.

I do. It seems he was born in 1727 or 1725, which would make him 8 or 10 years old, respectively, when he made this violin.

Rattle snake rattles are much cheaper and easier to install.

I'd suggest that the authenticity of this violin as the work of Tomaso Eberle should be your first concern.

Looks good. Did you smooth out the chamfers with the file marks?

Not surprisingly, this lot has been withdrawn.

It would appear from this article that he manufactured violins in a New York workshop as he continued to produce violins before, during, and after WWII. https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/cozio-carteggio/william-wilkanowski/

In his presentations on American Violins, David Bromberg referred to some American violins as "dangerous violins; that is, American violins that look so Italian they are in danger of having the authentic American maker's label removed, replaced with an Italian maker's label, and then having a "0" or two added to the price. I never thought that a Wilkanowski, particulalry with the distinctive "W" under the button, would be a one of them.

No doubt a Wilkanowski.

I would, but they don't have a sound sample.

You have outdone even yourself with that one.

Spam link.

No, not even for free.

Thanks for the replies and pictures. It is interesting that Lanini placed the posts next to the rib and then ran the linings around them, which is different than the examples shown.

I am afraid so. It is interesting to know that you and David have both done this. I wonder if Riccardo Antoniazzi and/or Celeste Farrotti did this? It makes a lot of sense.