Violin - Italian labelled Emidio Celani 1880

Emidio Celani was an Italian maker born in 1866 in Ascoli Piceno, a town in the Marche region. He was self-taught, and mostly made plucked stringed instruments, making his output of violins quite small. Most of his instruments were made for his local community and from local materials, furthering both the rarity of his work and the individuality of his style. This instrument comes with a certificate of authenticity and photos from J & A Beare.

This violin is labelled "Emidio Celani / ditto il Turco / Fece in Ascoli Piceno / 1880. The body measures 362mm along the back, 169mm across the upper bouts and 214mm across the lower bouts. It has a one-piece back of slab cut maple with some birdseye figuration on the lower bass bout, with matching ribs and scroll. The top is of a widely grained spruce, which widens further to the treble side. The violin is finished with ebony fittings, and has a honey-brown varnish. It is in good condition. 

It has quite an internal quality to it, being able to spin out smooth tone quality with ease in a variety of strokes, but having less of the brightness and strong projection often found in more modern Italian instruments. One of its other strong suits is its ability to blend with other instruments, capably reflecting different levels of complexity, warmth, or brightness. It would be best suited to performers of a tertiary level or higher, and would fit best for use in a chamber ensemble or orchestra. 

Please contact us if you would like to book an appointment to try this beautiful Italian violin.