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This violin was made in Germany, probably between about 1900 and 1935. It is fairly standard fare of the sort sold by the hundreds of thousands from Markneukirken or Mittenwald, and seems to have been varnished a pale amber. A later craftsman, probably in Mexico, carved recesses into the back and belly and inlaid shell and something black and carved away the edges of belly and back, putting the traditional banding of many Mexican instruments there. The result is rather striking, reminding one of Aztec artwork perhaps, especially in the lower back. Condition of this violin is very good. The sound is not the biggest, but is pleasing. The fingerboard is made of spruce with thin ebony veneers, and the neck is set at a rather shallower than modern angle, resulting in a 'fiddle' more than a violin, well suited for mariachi or other folk music. Of course the neck angle could be reset and the fingerboard replaced with solid ebony if one so desired but it is playable as it is with a lower bridge. Asking $400.
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