Antonio Stradivari 1690 VL Theodor
The ‘Theodor’ violin was crafted around the end of the 17th century as is confirmed by its original label ‘Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1690’, and it is named after Mrs. Iska Theodor of London, England, who owned it for several years. The back of the instrument is made from one piece of beautiful maple marked by lively curls of medium width, which slant downward from the treble to the bass side. The wings in the lower flanks are original and the head was considered original by the German violin maker August Riechers, but in 1938 the Hills noted that it was a German work dated about 1850–60 thereby leading us to suppose that it was at some point replaced. The current scroll is made of maple and presents smaller flames compared to the back and sides. The two-piece belly is made of spruce finely grained in the centre and more open towards the flanks, where the grain is of medium width. The varnish is of a red-brown colour over a golden ground.
Further Details
Antonio Stradivari Set 1, Volume 1, Page 204
