plasterercaster

you must have very keen eyes to spot dorsal pins (sic) on this violin - those locating pins do look a bit dodgy though

Since violin making spread throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries there are no characteristics I can think of which are exclusive to the whole of Italy. Perhaps the use of oppio is pretty much exclusively Italian ,but not all "Italian" violins are made of oppio. The larger the geographical area the harder it is to disprove the attribution - auction catalogues are mostly useful for learning how auctioneers function. By the way I think it is a good question

Worth having a look at the Stradivari "Medici" viola of 1690 - the only known instrument by Stradivari which retains its original set up. It looks to me that the main purpose of the lower saddle was to stop the tail gut wearing into the soft spruce.

In regards to Pedrazzini, it was Hawkes & son, not Hart & son. Hawkes & Son were also agents for E. Rocca and G.Schwarz

I agree, the hands of Francesco and Omobono in late Antonio Stradivari instruments are actually not that difficult to see. A good reference is p.214 of the 2013 Ashmolean "Stradivarius" exhibition catalogue.

sounds more like a description of William Ebsworth turning in his grave