A Violinmaker's Workshop

[Stanley Covington]

I traveled to Milan, Italy the week before last to inspect a factory in Turate, just North of Milan, and a product mock-up related to a construction project I am currently managing in Yokohama, Japan. My team and I had a free day before returning to Japan, so we decided to visit the National Museum of Science and Technology "Leonardo Da Vinci" in Milan. As a museum of technology, it was dated and underwhelming, but it houses an interesting violinmaker's shop, or at least a portion of a violinmaker's workshop's interior reassembled inside the museum.

Please notice the leg vise mounted on the end of the workbench. I have never seen a leg vise used in this configuration before. I'm not sure how the dog (or lug) located at the top surface of the jaw works, if it is fixed or can be moved up and down, but I suspect it is fixed. I intend to incorporate it into my bench when I can find another steel screw.

Another interesting item was the long plane resting on top of the bench. Details are not very clear, but it is obviously highly decorated with dramatic carving.

I would never consider decorating a plane in similar way, and find it difficult to grasp a sense of beauty, but in a time and place where all but a handful of people lived in desperate, muddy, diseased poverty, without the resources to buy a pot to piss in, much less a glazed and artfully painted one, there must have been great joy in using one's hands and skills to make an elaborately decorated tool. I hope we all feel something akin to this from time to time.

I wonder what the customers of the original owner of this plane felt when they came to his workshop to discuss a new commission, or to examine a job in progress, and saw it on his workbench.... Was a marketing statement being made? Was subtle evidence of the craftsman's skill casually on display?

338968338969338970

[Frederick Skelly]

Nice pics Stan! The plane is interesting and thought provoking, as you said. The shopping mall pic is gorgeous - how old would you say that structure is? I ask because it looks old, but your caption refers to it as a "mall", making me think it's newer. Yet it looks too ornate to be affordably built today.
Fred

[Phil Mueller]

Thanks for sharing Stanley. I like the plane...after all, why not create it in the theme of the makers trade. I appreciate when structures are repurposed vs torn down...reminds me of some of the "malls" in Moscow and even converted train stations in the states.

[george wilson]

The bench looks like it is pretty new compared to the old and worn looking head of the screw. I don't know why a pure violin maker would need a massive bench. Perhaps he made everything up to the large double bass? We had heavy benches in Williamsburg,but we were making everything up to harpsichords, which is in the size realm of good size furniture. I guess the double bass is the best guess.

The plane has a horizontal rear handle reminiscent of French style,or indeed of Roman style. The front knob is of a much more primitive style than 18th. C. French planes shown in Diderot. I am familiar with some Italian made violin maker's tools, but not with this plane. Indeed, I do not know why a pure violin maker would need a jointer this long. Maybe to join tops and backs of double basses? It cannot be determined. The largest bowed instrument I ever made in the museum was a bass viol, more the size of a cello,and with a "flat" back made of thin wood more akin to the back of a modern guitar in construction, and a carved arch top.

There are some dishes on the bench. The yellow looking chunks could be Gamboge, a very yellow looking resin used as an undercoat for violin varnish. The bottle could contain copal. But copal is the family name of a bunch of resins.

What a NEAT little pile of shavings!! I'm thinking this exhibit might be in the category of the Leonardo exhibit. Under funded, old, and not highly endowed with authentic artifacts.

You might have been better off going to Cremona to see real violin making. Probably not your aim though. Stradivari's house is still there, now a tavern. It has an open air "cupola" (what's the right word?) on the roof, with a roof, but no sides, where violins may have been hung for the varnish to dry up in the light and air. There is a school of violin making there (which I have not been impressed with,having spoken to some of its students). They teach HOW to make a violin there, but I am not aware that they teach in depth how to select the best woods, or alter thicknesses and arches to get superior tone, etc., which are much more important issues than simply becoming able to make a violin shaped object. (Not sure if that's the best way to say that, but it takes many years to learn to be a good maker).

[Stanley Covington]

Nice pics Stan! The plane is interesting and thought provoking, as you said. The shopping mall pic is gorgeous - how old would you say that structure is? I ask because it looks old, but your caption refers to it as a "mall", making me think it's newer. Yet it looks too ornate to be affordably built today.
Fred

The shopping mall is perhaps the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the world, built in 1877. Galleria Vittorio Emanuela II is the full name, and is said to be the source of the name Galleria used for hundreds of shopping center around the world including the famous one in Texas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galleria_Vittorio_Emanuele_II

The floors are all elaborate and beautiful handmade mosaic. The facades are all marble. A very elegant set of buildings indeed, and an excellent long-term investment. It opens out into the Duomo cathedral. Thousands and thousands of tourists all the time.

There used to be a MCDonalds inside, but they refused to renew M's lease so Prada could make another store. I bought my wife a bag there, BTW.

I don't think you could make it today regardless of budget.

Stan

[Stanley Covington]

The bench looks like it is pretty new compared to the old and worn looking head of the screw. I don't know why a pure violin maker would need a massive bench. We had them in Williamsburg,but we were making everything up to harpsichords,which is in the size realm of good size furniture.

The plane has a horizontal rear handle reminiscent of French style,or indeed of Roman style. The front knob is of a much more primitive style than 18th. C. French planes shown in Diderot. I am familiar with some Italian made violin maker's tools,but not with this plane. Indeed, I do not know why a pure violin maker would need a jointer this long. Perhaps he made instruments up to the size of double bass? It cannot be determined. The largest bowed instrument I ever made in the museum was a bass viol,more the size of a cello,and with a "flat" back made of thin wood more akin to the back of a modern guitar in construction,and a carved arch top.

There are some dishes on the bench. The yellow looking chunks could be Gamboge,a very yellow looking resin used as an undercoat for violin varnish. The bottle could contain copal. But,copal is the family name of a bunch of resins.

What a NEAT little pile of shavings!! I'm thinking this exhibit might be in the category of the Leonardo exhibit. Under funded,old,and not highly endowed with authentic artifacts.

You might have been better off going to Cremona to see real violin making. Stradivari's house is still there,now a tavern. It has an open air "cupola" on the roof,with a roof,but no sides,where violins may have been hung for the varnish to dry up in the light and air. There is a school of violin making there(which I have not been impressed with,having spoken to some of its students). They teach HOW to make a violin there,but I am not aware that they teach in depth how to select the best woods,or alter thicknesses and arches to get superior tone,etc. ,which are much more important issues than simply becoming able to make a violin shaped object.(Not sure if that's the best way to say that,but it takes many years to learn to be a good maker).

Thanks for the insight.

I think you are right on all points. However, while it doesn't show up well in the pics, the bench is no more than 4.5 ft long. The back legs are angled.

Stan

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

I don't think you could make it today regardless of budget.

Stan

This reminded me of one old guy in Russia who made a palace out of his country house, kind of...

338974338975338976338977338978

It took him some decades to accomplish. Maybe small village of guys like that can do that building. Sorry for off-topic.

[Pat Barry]

Thanks for the insight.

I think you are right on all points. However, while it doesn't show up well in the pics, the bench is no more than 4.5 ft long. The back legs are angled.

Stan
You titled the picture Leonardo's bench. Is that bench truly Leonardo's? What did he use it for?

[Stanley Covington]

You titled the picture Leonardo's bench. Is that bench truly Leonardo's? What did he use it for?

Well.... I suppose it is possible somebody named Lenny owned it at one time, but it is probably not Leonard da Vinci's workbench. It is in a museum named after him, though.

Stan

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting post Stan, thanks for sharing your travel pictures.

jtk

[george wilson]

It was the bench of Lenny DaVinny. He had a bakery down on toity toid street.

[Niels Cosman]

It was the bench of Lenny DaVinny. He had a bakery down on toity toid street.

Hahahahaha! :D