Hellier Stradivari

     Of the ten surviving decorated Stradivari instruments this one, built in 1679, is the most famous.  It is named for Sir Edward Hellier, who bought it from Stradivari's workshop in 1734.  The inlay on the top and back is an alternating row of 480 hand cut bone dots and diamonds, set between two rows of wood purfling.  The floral designs on the sides and peghead are excavated half the thickness of the rib and filled with an ebony mastic, in exactly the manner used by Stradivari.  The varnish is oil over a golden spirit ground, slightly antiqued with natural earth pigments.  The surface texture of the varnish is as it came from the brush, and has not been ground flat.

          The tone of this violin is brilliant, powerful, and balanced.  This photo shows  the Associate Concertmaster of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, who is the owner of the violin pictured above, trying it out in the white before varnishing.  She gave her violin its debut with the orchestra playing the solo parts in Mahler's first symphony.  Price $5,500

Lawrence K. Brown, Luthier    13 Sunset Lane    Asheville, NC    28804    USA  828-254-5828    larryandrobin@charter.net