Lété and Domenico Denis, Franco-Italian violin, circa 1820

This fine violin by Lété und Domenico Denis dating back to around 1820 is an intriguing blend of Italian and French artisanry and bears a label from the Turin atelier of Lété and Domenico Denis. Its elegant shape has an unmistakably Italian heritage but also features some typically French characteristics. Some of the less refined details, such as the carving of the scroll, reflect the idiosyncratic nature of this artisanal "border-crossing," whilst at the same time they led to an instrument that is just as aesthetically appealing as it is acoustically convincing. The glistening and highly transparent orange-brown oil varnish accentuates the lovely irregularity of the tone woods, especially the unusual grain of the one-piece back. In keeping with its wild nature and its advanced age, the violin shows traces of intense use. Our luthiers made minor repairs to the peg box, top and ribs, but none of these have any effect whatsoever on the outstanding sound of this violin, which has been worked over and is ready to play. We highly recommend this fine violins to musicians who appreciate playing something special. It has a warm, mature voice with a sweet character in the upper registers.