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Violin
Label: Nicolò Amati, Cremona, 1669
This violin most likely is a fine example by
Cornelis Kleynmann (1670-1699), Amsterdam

The University of Hamburg has carried out dendrochronological studies (see materials in the exhibition) on the wood of this violin. Dendrochronology is the science of determining the date of the annular rings in pine or spruce, serving to establish when the tree was felled. Dr. Peter Klein and Dr. Micha Beuting have established that the rings on the top of this violin run from 1489 until 1658, indicating that the tree was felled in or about 1659. The violin was therefore built shortly thereafter.

Juan Carlos Higuita, a young Columbian violinist, during a concert
at the Castello di Duino, Italy

Sometimes, however, the owner of the collection wants to have a try of this wonderful instrument:
here as concertmaster during a production of Händel's Messias in Germany.
Not a bad bow grip, one would venture to say.

Dendrochronological analysis Dendrochronology is the science of dating objects made out of wood by measuring the year rings in the wood used in the object's construction and comparing the results to data banks collected for this purpose. This methods establishes with reasonable certainty a date before which the instrument could not have been made. Most violin makers use woods which have been aged for about five to ten years. Dendrochronology explained, with the complete findings!
Bericht über die dendrochronologische Untersuchung einer Geige (Zettel: Amati) Die zweiteilige Fichtenholzdecke enthält auf der Baßseite 141 Jahrringe und auf der Diskantseite 126 Jahrringe. Mit der Vergleichskurve aus der Alpenregion konnten die Jahrringe der Baßseite zwischen 1658 und 1518 und die der Diskantseite zwischen 1614 und 1489 eingeordnet werden. Somit stammt der jüngste auf der Decke vorhandene Jahrring aus dem Jahre 1658. Baß- und Diskantseite stammen von demselben Baum. Bei einer minimalen Lagerzeit des Holzes von einem Jahr kann die Decke frühstens ab 1659 entstanden sein. Prof. Dr. Peter Klein Ordinariat für Holzbiologie Universität Hamburg
Report on the dendrochronological analysis of a violin (label: Amati) The two-part spruce front contains 141 year-rings on the bass side and 126 year-rings on the treble side. With the curves of comparison from the Alpine region the year-rings could be dated between 1658 and 1518 on the bass side and between 1614 and 1489 on the treble side. Therefore the youngest year-ring present on the front comes from the year 1658. The bass and the treble side came from the same tree. Considering a minimal time for curing the wood of one year, the front could have been made in 1659 at the earliest. Prof. Dr. Peter Klein Ordinariat für Holzbiologie Universität Hamburg

Dendrochronological analysis

Dendrochronology is the science of dating objects made out of wood by measuring the year rings in the wood used in the object's construction and comparing the results to data banks collected for this purpose. This methods establishes with reasonable certainty a date before which the instrument could not have been made. Most violin makers use woods which have been aged for about five to ten years.

Dendrochronology explained, with the complete findings!

Bericht über die dendrochronologische Untersuchung einer
Geige (Zettel: Amati)

Die zweiteilige Fichtenholzdecke enthält auf der Baßseite 141 Jahrringe und auf der Diskantseite 126 Jahrringe. Mit der Vergleichskurve aus der Alpenregion konnten die Jahrringe der Baßseite zwischen 1658 und 1518 und die der Diskantseite zwischen 1614 und 1489 eingeordnet werden. Somit stammt der jüngste auf der Decke vorhandene Jahrring aus dem Jahre 1658.

Baß- und Diskantseite stammen von demselben Baum.

Bei einer minimalen Lagerzeit des Holzes von einem Jahr kann die Decke frühstens ab 1659 entstanden sein.

Prof. Dr. Peter Klein
Ordinariat für Holzbiologie
Universität Hamburg

Report on the dendrochronological analysis of a
violin (label: Amati)

The two-part spruce front contains 141 year-rings on the bass side and 126 year-rings on the treble side. With the curves of comparison from the Alpine region the year-rings could be dated between 1658 and 1518 on the bass side and between 1614 and 1489 on the treble side. Therefore the youngest year-ring present on the front comes from the year 1658.

The bass and the treble side came from the same tree.

Considering a minimal time for curing the wood of one year, the front could have been made in 1659 at the earliest.

Prof. Dr. Peter Klein
Ordinariat für Holzbiologie
Universität Hamburg

Body length	362 mm
Upper width	mm
Middle width	mm
Lower width	mm
Rib height	mm
String length	mm