Viola ID

[baroquecello]

A friend of mine has changed career from violist to teacher, and wishes to sell her baroque viola. She knows not much about it. She was told it is "old" "german" and had "never been opened". I see what I think is a Mittenwald notch and generally a good state and a nice workmanship. I also see on the top wood a kind of reflexion of the wood under the varnish, that I have been told is caused by using sand paper, and which I've seen mainly on 20th century instruments, so maybe the instrument has been refinished? The pictures are what they are, I'll send my friend  a link to the "how to photograph a violin for identification purposes" thread. But in the mean time: What are your opinions?

[deans]

I dont think its been refinished. Maybe the top has been aggressively cleaned. 

[jacobsaunders]

7 minutes ago, deans said:

I dont think its been refinished. Maybe the top has been aggressively cleaned. 

Presumably  it originally had a dark varnish, and somebody has "Lightend" it up

It looks Austrian, rather than German to me

[baroquecello]

10 hours ago, jacobsaunders said:

Presumably  it originally had a dark varnish, and somebody has "Lightend" it up

It looks Austrian, rather than German to me

Would you take a guess regarding its age? Second half of the 18th century?

[Guido]

You‘d want to have a look through the endpin hole and see if the original neck is nailed on, or if there is a surprise.

I‘m not certain the lower rib is one piece or just joined very well. I note the notch in the backplate!

[Mark Caudle]

It looks more like there is a scribed line marking the centre of the bottom rib and the line is probably recent as it is over the old glue accumulation at the bottom edge

 

 

[Guido]

The flame around the end pin also looks sus. And very different from everywhere else.

Best to clarify the neck attachment…

 

[jacobsaunders]

5 hours ago, baroquecello said:

Would you take a guess regarding its age? Second half of the 18th century?

end of 18th C

[Ratcliffiddles]

I thought it looked a bit like Ficker, Neukirchen c.1800

[deans]

21 minutes ago, Ratcliffiddles said:

I thought it looked a bit like Ficker, Neukirchen c.1800

Neukirchen vs Vienna/S. German should be very very easy, especially with an instrument that seems to be mostly original.  Maybe the OP will come through with more pics.

 

[baroquecello]

a couple of pictures didn't upload, I just noticed.

[Blank face]

2 hours ago, deans said:

Neukirchen vs Vienna/S. German should be very very easy, especially with an instrument that seems to be mostly original.  Maybe the OP will come through with more pics.

 

It’s not that easy without knowing more about construction and neck attachment. Good Markneukirchens from around 1800 like Ficker or (more likely IMO) Hamm or Schönfelder family would have a one piece lower rib and a fully fluted scroll, too, and sometimes similar models, ff shape etc as Austrian instruments.

Linings mortised into asymmetrical corner blocks, nailed neck would be Austrian, symmetrical blocks (or none at all) without inserted linings and through neck = Markneukirchen.

[Blank face]

10 hours ago, Guido said:

The flame around the end pin also looks sus

SuS means Schülerinnen und Schüler?

[deans]

26 minutes ago, Blank face said:

It’s not that easy without knowing more about construction and neck attachment

Yes, thats what I was talking about needing more pics. As Guido mentioned, pics of the inside work should do it, although that second side pic of the neck has me leaning towards through neck construction.

And I agree with your point about some of the external features. I have a "JC Ficker" with a one piece bottom rib with its original through neck. I've showed it a couple times here.