Authentication of an old violin by multianalytical methods

Abstract

The paper presents the authentication of a Stradivari 1737 type violin, which belonged to the Romanian scientist Ştefan Odobleja. The analytical methods used in the study for assessing archaeometric characteristics of some component materials, along with the white degree and glycolysis rate measurements of the label that allowed an extensive evaluation of the violin, were OM, SEM-EDX, and micro-FTIR. The preparation binder (egg white from thin gypsum layers) and the varnish (identification of linseed oil and colophony components, alongside contamination impurities) were assessed in order to evaluate the artefact conservation state, as well as the restoration and counterfeiting interventions. We can conclude that the violin was done by a violin maker from the Stradivari family, and it is a replica of the violins of that period.