The Instrument

Michael Jelden plays an instument by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume of Paris, 1828.
The instrument was built in the style of Casparo da Salo and bears several individual charcteristics that assure it not only a special status in the oeuvre of Vuillaume, but in the ranks of other great instruments:
In the place of the scroll there is a carved head of an old man. The back bears a painting of a female angel who plays the violin. Behind the bridge there is an unidentified coat-of-arms and the head and sides are gold painted.

The carving and painting are believed to represent King David and St. Cecily, repectively.

It is altogether one of the best preserved antique instruments: The violin has no cracks nor damage of any description.

Vuillaume was also the violin maker of choice of Nicoló Paganini. He not only repaired more than once Paganini's legendary violin, the "Cannone" by Giuseppe Guarneri "del Gesú", but he also made a wonderful copy of it. Vuillaume and Paganini together were also very active in the field of instrument trade.

It is suspected that Paganini himself once owned and played the instrument.

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