Lion's-head violin from Mittenwald, late 19th century

Antique Mittenwald lion head violin from the late 19th century. The flat arched violin was made around 1870 and crowned with a beautiful lion's head in the style of Martin Kriner. This typical woodcarving stands out strongly from the many variations on this ornamentation that was so popular during the time, a fashion which primarily originated in the Saxonian region in a more stylized and much simpler form. The eyes and eyebrows on this lion, however, were carved in good detail, reflecting the influence of the rich woodcarving tradition of the Alpine region, a part of the world known for its beautiful Christmas crèches and figures of saints. The typical Mittenwald varnish is an intensive, red-brown that darkened dramatically over time and developed a wonderful patina. The small and elegantly curved sound holes round out the historical aesthetic of this lion head violin. Our luthier has set up this old stringed instrument and made it ready to play; we offer this lion's head violin with a repair to the left sound hole crackfree  witg many signs of age in good condition. A powerful testament to the Mittenwald provenance of this lion's-head violin is its bright, silvery sound that features beautiful resonance.