Violin

The earliest extant instruments by Jacob Stainer were made in the 1650s and show the violin maker at the height of his mastery. By this period, he had already developed a personal model that was oriented towards Amati, while at the same time displaying the individual features that make his work unmistakable. The arch of both top plate and back is relatively high, which results in the instrument’s typical bright sound. The working of the f holes, the purfling and the edges of the plates clearly demonstrate Stainer’s skill as a craftsman. Their extreme precision contributes to the characteristic appearance of the instruments. The same can be said of the scroll, though particularly in his later work, Stainer sometimes carved a lion’s head in place of the scroll. The overall impression of the instruments is dominated by the bright, transparent varnish that allows the optical qualities of the wood to come to the fore. (rh/bd)