What is the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?
Just wondering what passes the test of time? I personally have an old Casio watch and if you count fruit trees, those are pretty old too.
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My violin was made in 1614, but to be honest I use my practice violin daily and use that as my concert violin, and tune and play it weekly.
How paranoid are you about dropping it or falling while holding it? That's literally what I think every time I hear about instruments like this.
That would be among the few things left over from the age of knights and the black death (or the end of that period, anyway), and even modern instruments can be unbelievably valuable.
Not particularly. The wood sat in the harbor nearest to Brefchia to age for two years before Magini ever even touched it. It's pretty sturdy all things considered. The violin held up better than the original bow and wooden case. We fumigated all of them because they had become infected with bow mites. The original case and bow are in the attic, mostly she currently lives in a crushed velvet lined climate controlled case. Not playing her would do more damage than breaking her out and keeping her in tune.
Lol, it looks like that particular dude died in a plague outbreak.
Are all the previous owners known? I can only imagine the stories such an object might tell us if it could speak (as well as sing).
Not exactly. There's a break in the chain of ownership, when it came to the new world in the late 1700s. We're not entirely certain how my great great great grandfather came into possession of it, but we believe that he either won it in a game of poker, or he possibly stole it during the commotion of the last quarter century of the 1700s.
Thanks for the info on Magini. I just knew he made my violin, or more likely one of his apprentices. And that he and another dude in Florence are were simultaneously credited for inventing the thing independently of each other.
Edit: there's a fuckton more info on the guy than I could find back in 1993 when I looked into him
Glad to help!
or he possibly stole it during the commotion of the last quarter century of the 1700s.
commie
I see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, lol.
That right there is one of the stories I'd love to know the details of.
Expensive piece of kit! I assume you're a professional musician?
Sadly, no. I was told by my cousins, who are professional violinists, that I had the ability, but they didn't inform me of that until I was already 25 and a chef.
I inherited the thing because I found it in my grandma's closet when I was 6 and helping her clean her room. I asked her who owned it, and she said it was my dead grandpa's violin. So I asked again, then who's is it? She thought about it and said "I dunno, I guess whichever of you grandkids learns to play it first."
I inherited the thing because I found it in my grandma’s closet when I was 6 and helping her clean her room. I asked her who owned it, and she said it was my dead grandpa’s violin. So I asked again, then who’s is it? She thought about it and said “I dunno, I guess whichever of you grandkids learns to play it first.”
Have you had it insured? I see they go for roughly 20.000 to 150.000 USD, so I assume it's an 'of course I have' moment, but you seem to be quite nonchalant with it so far :D
Got it insured by Lloyd's of London when they authenticated it's age and tag. That's the source of my nonchalance.
Edit: I will say their insurance policies are astounding in what they cover, but they are pricey.
My ass. No way. How do you know it's authentic, let alone date it to that time period? Secondly show us!
Lloyd's of London authenticated the tag inside, and the age. If I remember to, I will post a picture when I pull it out this next week.