Instrument Type: Violin
Circa: 1754
Asking Price: SOLD
Maker: Carlo Antonio Testore
The Violin
Carlo Antonio Testore made this Testore composite violin in Milan around 1754. It is in good condition, with one exception: the top is of later Italian origin. That made it a fine opportunity to own an excellent violin by a master Italian maker at a reduced price.
The tone is full, warm and beautiful. This Testore composite violin has a back length of 35.4 cm.
Composite instruments are common among older Italian violins. A well-matched later top can keep an instrument playing beautifully for centuries, so the arrangement is far from a compromise.
What a player gets here is the back, the ribs and the scroll of a genuine 18th-century Milanese instrument. The sound matches. Also, the certificate documents exactly what it is. This Testore composite violin has matured through more than two and a half centuries of playing, and it remains a fully capable performance instrument today.
The Maker
Carlo Antonio Testore was the eldest son of Carlo Giuseppe Testore. He worked at the Sign of the Eagle in Milan from about 1710 to 1765. That shop sat at the center of Milanese violin making.
He was more prolific than his father, and he drew on the techniques and designs of Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri.
So even as a composite, a Testore composite violin carries the character and tone of one of Milan’s most important making families. Players and dealers still follow the Testore name closely, and certified examples keep their value for that strong, direct Milanese voice.
Certification
Jacques Francais certified this instrument.
Terms of Sale
This violin has sold, so it is no longer available for purchase. Benning Violins invites you to browse our current catalog of fine instruments. You can also contact us directly to ask about similar pieces.