Markneukirchen master violin by August Hermann Braun

This splendid master violin is a late work by master luthier August Hermann Braun; he crafted it in 1936, one of the last years of his life. In every detail, the instrument's perfectly rendered style encompasses the golden era of instrument making in Markneukirchen, an epoch in which August Hermann Braun was one of the leading figures. In addition to the role he played at the atelier he founded himself in 1892, he was also a key employee at the famous workshop of Schuster & Co., whose top-quality instruments remain in high demand to this day. In 1896, Braun began working for Schuster, which had only recently been founded, and he not only helped establish the department of artistic violin making, he also managed it for 22 years. This violin, an immaculate example of the relatively broad Saxonian Stradivari model, bears August Hermann Braun's dated label inside the body and his original seal at the lower rib. Over the course of time, the golden-yellow oil varnish developed delicate crackling which gives the strikingly lovely tone woods a historic charm. Both the finely-grained spruce top and the deep, close flames of the two-piece maple back feature a harmonious aesthetic that shows that Braun selected woods which were absolutely even in age and have ideal resonance characteristics. This excellent example of Vogtland craftsmanship has few traces of use and has been kept in remarkably good condition; a minor crack at the right sound hole was professionally repaired by the experts at our atelier for restoration, and the violin is now ready to play. We recommend this rare instrument to demanding musicians who will appreciate its splendid acoustic and playing properties.