This fine French violin made in 1856 by Claude A. Miremont came into the shop a while ago after a terrible accident. I show this as a warning to players who rest their fiddles on chairs! As you can see the back and ribs were badly broken and to a lesser extent the front was also damaged.

After I carefully pieced the fragments back together and reinforced them inside with a maple patch, the result was almost as good as new. I fitted an ebony “crown” over the button. This replaced an older crown in maple which had been damaged.

(Note: On the left side by the purfling, there is a dark mark which is a small knot in the maple back.)

This repair work is very time consuming and expensive- but it preserves the value of the violin and once again it’s played and enjoyed by it’s long time owner.