Curious- black looking marks

[epe913]

I was doing a routine inspection of my violin today and got to wondering about something... hoping someome more knowledgeable can clear up my curiosity... 

My violin has these black marks all around the top edge of the ribs where the top plate is glued on.  But not anywhere else. Is this discolored glue residue? Varnish? Lead? Just was looking closer at things and was wondering what those marks were from in my violin's past. 

Here is a photo

Thanks for clearing up my curiosity! 

[epe913]

Photo of course did not attach. Here it is!

[Michael Jennings]

Is it only on the belly.. or on the back join as well? If only the belly I would suspect a somewhat sloppy glue up after a belly removal for some repair. The squeeze out may have darkened over the years for any number of reasons including environmental causes reacting with the organics of the glue.... if it is indeed hide glue was used.

[epe913]

Just the belly. At times it kind of looks like black Sharpie in how it is, haha! If it is glue, is that something I should leave on as is or put on my laundry list try to have removed next time the top is off? 

[duane88]

Bad retouch...

[Jeffrey Holmes]

What he said.  ^

[epe913]

3 hours ago, Jeffrey Holmes said:

What he said.  ^

 

5 hours ago, duane88 said:

Bad retouch...

Yikes! Don't know when that happened or who could have done that prior to my owning it.  Is that something that can or should be fixed eventually? I personally don't care one way or another but I do want to maintain the violin properly and take the best care of it. 

[carl1961]

23 minutes ago, epe913 said:

 

Yikes! Don't know when that happened or who could have done that prior to my owning it.  Is that something that can or should be fixed eventually? I personally don't care one way or another but I do want to maintain the violin properly and take the best care of it. 

if you press lightly on the edge, does the plate move? it looks from the picture that it looks open at the C Bouts or it was not a tight reglue.

[epe913]

22 hours ago, carl1961 said:

if you press lightly on the edge, does the plate move? it looks from the picture that it looks open at the C Bouts or it was not a tight reglue.

I tried this and nothing moved. So I hope it's a good reglue! I checked all sides, too. We'll see what happens its first Midwest winter outside of a controlled shop...