Cello ID

[cellopera]

Does this Cello look authentic to you? https://www.ebay.de/itm/altes-Cello-4-4-Mittenwald-1923-gut-erhalten-keine-schaden-mit-bogen-L-76-cm/223546454566?hash=item340c683226&enc=AQADAAAC8FjVrDbVsZ8oH%2F8PNHtt9VX4%2Fw7FZcmMuqsX8uaFEduV2nuDZQKgavEpbU7vgwhiH8WF8hQnRWcxphIxxaPMsF6YGAWZA1zIToKGRwuFu4iY%2B5PCS9wH8hJss%2F2mn4W8lnv2ZkIKKb%2Bk00iZqIWutWJmLvYJxqBR2DBlr2bwhY26hEUh3vEGPw7e7DsubH8b3p0AA1xkHHrS079vBV%2BWA7zNlCHp8aXMrWZHr2vihzUey4NATuNOs%2FMVR24B%2Bf0FC8j9KJ0WTie5gYhVHupQ8mUmfpqTA2DAAc14rsp%2FUnESqYPJa273F%2BmKQCx44%2FFA7rd0mm4gEYarxD3jw4K4IW%2FhR9mNa0izf4526S550jxwOKlagL%2BfxPKwTo8jAdDzIvnQ34flSmgQ24GDAYo%2B71I72dzBWBGWyWyCBDFtIGcyzzILN6Yj7L98C6Vl6CcQ4Hr3v5Jg%2B8%2B9vpvAItUeHOqNXLUTAQrfZfHhH4Gomt0ZEQBsh557mflItEWjtvi0aTstri4fgPJew4Zo%2FHK4POAJGLiF0zjs4RZ6O1whQKWvb%2Bz42Atq2OdT8OiKPwS%2FeB8QGVX5autH2KyVfXlilIczTcR15QOZuuP2vZ8wMYmc1MLQiptQ6ZnywA8Eq%2BSA3DqxOxiu1GjVBgg1b4MgunRD6NNTeNFw6TMLKxaJmsSH59UImtkFEQlJmLpzEjQyLjTqegjAME0VTgtia7n0s4xhuIIhSe3rT237%2F6YYoYYmQDO3OBvVVEQ7lf5pUUbIX1yGuuVHdiyuVW0FydukQAwzy0KneersMuvvnT7zX2R4ZRK0ZkqYGLeX4%2FaCBI9fMIpCCSvh0BvwDfMzTPdwZCM2QcrGGA87GRu6KrOtI2aytzzVU1Fjo5CLhG9splR2INYBn%2BGf2Zmu3FXI9xOh8Jr7Hs5%2F49hjpQkwlbVLzEJvLFUlHR9hwvrOMULNtp4SP8whz7qpp0AC7oxWbXfDk7dasoM84B1IP6lVhhkT7San&checksum=223546454566d836f2364c694196ac75eff1d2ad0f4f&autorefresh=true

[jacobsaunders]

Since Mittenwald makers fluted the scroll through to the "bitter end", and this one stops short, I have doubts if this Instrument hails from Mittenwald. In particular the attribution to Ashauer, who was director of the Geigenbaushule seems bogus, since this small detail would have sent him into a fit.

 

PS. I expect that Jeffrey will move this thread to the Auction Scroll when he's awake

[deans]

How important is that to you?  Looks like its decent enough and  reasonably priced. Of course we're talking Ebay, there are almost an infinite number of potential issues and hidden problems.

[jacobsaunders]

9 minutes ago, deans said:

How important is that to you?  

The OP question was about authenticity

[cellopera]

44 minutes ago, deans said:

How important is that to you?  Looks like its decent enough and  reasonably priced. Of course we're talking Ebay, there are almost an infinite number of potential issues and hidden problems.

Very important! I wouldn’t want to spend that kind of money on firewood.

[baroquecello]

Mittenwald or not, I believe it looks german from that time frame. As far as can be judged from the pictures, to me it looks like a well made cello, and I think the Price is good for this kind of cello, but not spectacularly so. I work as a cello teacher in Germany and usually have one or two students looking for Cellos in this Price category. Sometimes such Cellos can sound surprisingly good. I actually find it quite attractive, however, I would never ever buy before trying.

[martin swan]

Well Mittenwald and Saxony are two entirely distinct schools of making which are only connected through the historical accident of both being in what we now call "Germany".

Otherwise I agree with you entirely - it looks quite nice and reasonably priced, as long as the condition is fair.  But the main thing would be to establish whether it even begins to compete tonally with a nice Jay Haide ...

[baroquecello]

9 hours ago, martin swan said:

Well Mittenwald and Saxony are two entirely distinct schools of making which are only connected through the historical accident of both being in what we now call "Germany".

Yes, but it is my Impression from my limited experience that in the interbellum the differences started disappearing rapidly and the Saxon was of construction (BOB) and also the improvised was of designing violins (don't have a  better way of describing it) was disappearing quickly. (Please correct me if I'm wrong) The scroll already Looks a lot cleaner than anything from before WWI from Markneukirchen, the only Thing that gives it away is the 6 (rather 7 or 8) o'clock stopping of the fluting. The varnishing in Terms of couloring and shading looks rather like I've seen on some good Asschauer Workshop Instruments from the 50ies, although it is much more shiny (but a French polish is not hard to do).

[jacobsaunders]

1 hour ago, baroquecello said:

 like I've seen on some good Asschauer Workshop Instruments from the 50ies, 

Beware of „Aschauer Workshop“! He was director of the Geigenbauschule, whose Instruments were sold (cheaply) to the „trade“ labeled „Handarbeit aus Mittenwald“ or similar, and with a brand that looks like a Christmas tree in a circle. I doubt that an „Aschauer Workshop“ exists outside of Ebay.

 

Aschauer Features prominently in the 1956 article from the „New Yorker“ which I reproduced here:

 

 

[jdjung]

I'm curious to know, what is it exactly that you mean that the scroll ends at a certain clock position? What is it that we are looking at exactly? I know what the scroll is, but are we looking at the part that attached to the peg box or the part that sticks out?

[A432]

When I bought an Aschauer violin from Moenig's, they told me that the name/label was used for the instruments that the students at the school made as part of their educations.

FWIW

[jacobsaunders]

2 hours ago, A432 said:

When I bought an Aschauer violin from Moenig's, they told me that the name/label was used for the instruments that the students at the school made as part of their educations.

FWIW

In that case, they would have the brand of the school, a christmas tree in a circle