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Gagliano Violin

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

Gagliano, Nicolo
Description
This violin was made by Nicolo Gagliano, in Naples, Italy in 1750. Nicolo Gagliano worked in the period around 1740-1780(?) and was the eldest son of Alessandro (ca. 1640-1730), founder of the Gagliano family of violin makers in Naples. Nicolo usually worked quite neatly on a model based on that of Stradivari. This instrument bears unusually high archings, but is characteristically finely finished with delicate attention to the clean lines of the f-holes and purfling. Typical for instruments of the Gagliano family, this violin by Nicolo has poplar purfling in the center strip, with outer adjacent strips of black paper (instead of wood) to complete the traditional purfling three piece composite. The violin also bears a delicately chamfered scroll with fine detail and ears of extended length. This violin is made of a table of spruce in two pieces of dissimilar wood of fine to medium broad grain with mild figure, back of maple in one piece cut on the quarter with even medium figure ascending to the left, ribs of similar maple cut on 45o, grafted maple neck terminating in an original maple pegbox and scroll with medium fine figure, and a semi-transparent yellow-brown varnish.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Veterans Administration Hospital
1750
ID Number
MI.73.42
accession number
306526
catalog number
73.42
Object Name
violin
Physical Description
spruce (table material)
maple (back material)
Measurements
overall: 23 1/2 in x 8 7/16 in x 3 7/8 in; 59.69 cm x 21.43125 cm x 9.8425 cm
Place Made
Italy: Campania, Naples
Related Publication
19th Century American Ballroom Music
There's A Good Time Coming: Songs of the Hutchinson Family
George Frideric Handel. Seven Concerti Grossi, Op. 3
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
Music & Musical Instruments
Violins
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_605488
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-30c3-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

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  • Violins:Untitled

  • Violins:Untitled

Gagliano violin, front view
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