J.B. LEMARQUIS circa 1770 ???

[brickworth]

Hello all.  I hope that you might be able to give me some thoughts here. I am drawn to a current listing on Ebay for an original Jean-Baptiste Le Marquis. It is described as one of the 18th century violins circa 1770.  The seller declares authenticity and offers a certificate. I am currently waiting on a video/sound file. With that said, I have researched this as deeply as I can and it seems that the Le Marquis de l'air branding has been used quite a bit having been purchased by Claudot in the 1850's and JTL in the early 1900's.  The price being asked is in lower the range of an original Le Marquis.  

As much as my heart wants to believe, my head advises caution because: 1) The violin is in remarkably good condition for a 250+ year old violin (no repairs, etc.);        2) Lack of grafted neck on such an old instrument;  3) The back is fire-branded with Le Marquis DeLair d'oiseaux anno.  While all have a firebrand on the back, one source I have found lends that the violins with the "anno" followed by a blank year are from the early 1920's (again, more consistent with an early 20th century instrument). 

While internet research is interesting, it certainly has its flaws.  So, that is why I am coming to the collective mind of "all things violin".  A few of the listed photos are attached.

 

[Vafan]

What sounds too good to be true is usually not true. "Le Marquis de l'air d'oiseaux" is a sales brand from the 19th century and does not refer to a violin maker named L.B. LeMarquis.

[jandepora]

 

1 hour ago, Vafan said:

What sounds too good to be true is usually not true. "Le Marquis de l'air d'oiseaux" is a sales brand from the 19th century and does not refer to a violin maker named L.B. LeMarquis.

Roland Terrier doesn't think like you. 

https://www.vosgesmatin.fr/societe/2023/09/20/mirecourt-roland-terrier-fait-decouvrir-la-marque-lemarquis-de-l-air-d-oiseau

https://violindocs.com/auteur/jean-baptiste-lemarquis-dit-le-marquis-de-lair-doiseau/

 

[Blank face]

6 hours ago, brickworth said:

With that said, I have researched this as deeply as I can and it seems that the Le Marquis de l'air branding has been used quite a bit having been purchased by Claudot in the 1850's and JTL in the early 1900's. 

The brand is comparable to the Hopf brand of Saxony. Though there are some old original works, the overwhelming majority is later commercial use of all sorts of random shapes and qualities. The photos here aren’t very sufficient but it appears to be a 20th century work without much resemblance of older models.

Having said this, it’s always recommended to give a link to an original listing (which can be found easily anyway) than to copy and paste copyright protected photos without permission.

[brickworth]

Thank you both for the very helpful insight. My apology for the error with the photo post; I am still learning the protocols for this site. They did come from the following link: FINE ANTIQUE FRENCH VIOLIN OF THE CHAPPUY SCHOOL MADE BY J.B. LEMARQUIS CA 1770. | eBay .