Musical Instrument Auction Terminology [For Buyers of Bowed Stringed Instruments]

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1	MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AUCTION TERMINOLOGY - FOR BUYERS OF BOWED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS - LAST UPDATED 20/12/2024
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3	Below is an overview of terminology used within specialist and non specialist Musical Instrument Auctions, these terms are mostly applicable to Bowed Stringed Instruments, but can be used as a reference point for other instrument types.
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5	For the purpose of consistency, for the majority of examples we shall use Violin as the instrument and Jacob Stainer as the maker. Other examples may be used where appropriate.
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7	Please note: This is not an exhaustive list, and not everyone always agrees on the definition of auction terms. The information listed below is my opinion and definition of the terms.
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9	Main Description Terminology	Meaning	Notes	Updates
10	A VIOLIN, BY JACOB STAINER, ABSAM, CIRCA 1660	In the opinion of the auction house / experts, this instrument was made by Jacob Stainer or under his direction.	Auction houses / experts don't alway get it right and the accuracy of this will depend on the auction house and the quality of the expertise they consult. Some smaller non specialist auction houses have little knowledge and will sometimes wrongly use the term BY solely based on a label or some other details found on the instrument.
11	A VIOLIN, BY A MEMBER OF THE STAINER FAMILY, ABSAM, CIRCA 1660	In the opinion of the auction house / experts, this instrument was made by a member of Jacob Stainers family, but they are not exactly sure which family member.	This is usually more applicable to the larger families of makers who worked together and whose worked often overlapped. With further investigation it may or may not be possible for experts to ascertain which family member made it. Some experts may be prepared to issue a certificate naming a specific family member.
12	A VIOLIN, BY JACOB STAINER, ABSAM, CIRCA 1660, SHOWING THE HAND OF MATTHIAS KLOTZ I	In the opinion of the auction house / experts, this instrument was made by Jacob Stainer or under his direction. However, parts of it are recognisable as the work of another named maker.	In this case the auction house would name the other maker and possible which parts of the instrument they think the other maker has made.
13	A VIOLIN, WORKSHOP OF JACOB STAINER, ABSAM, CIRCA 1660	In the opinion of the auction house / experts, this instrument was made in the workshop of Jacob Stainer, but it's unclear if he physically made any part of it, but it was likely made for him under his direction.	Many makers had large workshops and it was not uncommon for them to employ other makers or family members to make instruments on their behalf. These instruments would have been made under the direction of the named maker using the same workshop, tools and wood and likely sold as being their work.
14	A COMPOSITE VIOLIN BY JACOB STAINER, ABSAM, CIRCA 1660	The auction house / experts believe that some or most parts of the instrument are by Jacob Stainer, but other parts where made by someone else or multiple other people.	The auction house would normally list which parts are original. The most important maker of the composite instrument would usually be the name featured in the description.
15	A VIOLIN, MADE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JACOB STAINER, ABSAM, CIRCA 1660	In the opinion of the auction house / experts, this instrument was made by another individual, but with the guidance or assistance of Jacob Stainer.	This could be someone affiliated with Stainer, a student, or a guest to his workshop etc.
16	A VIOLIN, BY MATTHIAS KLOTZ I, MITTENWALD, CIRCA 1680, MADE FOR JACOB STAINER	In the opinion of the auction house / experts, this instrument was made for Jacob Stainer at his request, either to sell as his own work or to sell as an instrument as a dealer, but it was not made by him and it was not made in his workshop.	Lots of big shops and dealers outsourced the making of instruments to external makers, sometimes the exact origin of these instruments is unknown and at other times the identity of the maker is known.
17	A VIOLIN, PROBABLY BY JACOB STAINER, ABSAM, CIRCA 1660	The auction house / experts thinks that is by Jacob Stainer or made under his direction, but they are not able to confirm for certain.	This could mean that not everyone agrees on what it is or there could be some elements to the instrument which are not consistent with the known work of that maker. It could also be that the auction houses had not had time to investigate it properly before going to sale.
18	A VIOLIN, POSSIBLY BY JACOB STAINER, AUSTRIA, CIRCA 1660	The auction house / experts thinks that it could be by Jacob Stainer or made under his direction but they are not sure as there are elements of the instrument which do not seem correct.	There are some elements which are consistent with the work of Jacob Stainer but there are some questions marks about other parts. The experts may not agree on who actually made it and this may require further investigation.
19	A VIOLIN, CIRCLE OF JACOB STAINER, AUSTRIA, 17TH CENTURY	Someone working at the same time period and same area as Jacob Stainer. They were probably connected in some way, but did not work for Stainer.	This likely means someone working in a similar style to Stainer but not exactly the same. Because of the workmanship and style / age of the instrument they must have been in some way connected to Stainer.
20	A VIOLIN, ASCRIBED TO JACOB STAINER, GERMANY, 18TH CENTURY	The auction house / experts believe this is not by Jacob Stainer, but someone in the past (possibly another expert or dealer) has claimed it is and issued some kind of certificate to that effect.	Some sellers might try to sell an item like this as genuine. Lots of instruments have old certificates claiming that this instrument is by XYZ maker, sometimes these were issued purely to mislead people for financial game, in other cases the people issuing the certificate had a genuine belief in what they were writing. Opinions on instruments change all the time, and even certificates from respected experts can be wrong.
21	A VIOLIN, ATTRIBUTED TO JACOB STAINER, GERMANY, 17TH CENTURY	The owner of the instrument or some other people / experts believe that it might be by Jacob Stainer and they would like the auction house to sell it as close to one as possible. The auction house however is sceptical or unsure and will simply mention that some people believe it is by Jacob Stainer instead.	This is an acknowledgement that the owner and or some other people may believe this is a genuine work, but there is too much doubt to sell it as genuine. It may have been sold as a genuine Jacob Stainer in the past. The definition of this term seems to be different in the fine art world where the term attributed usually means some level of expert does believe that it is genuine. For musical instruments this seems to be a bit more of a vague term to use.
22	A VIOLIN, SCHOOL OF JACOB STAINER, GERMANY, 18TH CENTURY	This is a very vague term that is often used by auctions houses. This generally means someone working in a similar style of making to Jacob Stainer. It could have been someone who was connected, or unconnected to Stainer or also someone working at a similar or completely different time period to Stainer.	This can mean a number of different things depending on the auction house. In the best scenario it could mean someone who was taught in the methods of instrument making either directly by Jacob Stainer or someone close to him. It could also mean someone that trained in that style of making either in a similar area or at a similar time period. In the worst case in could mean something trying to work in a similar style to Jacob Stainer but at a completely different time period.
23	A VIOLIN, FOLLOWER OF JACOB STAINER, GERMANY, 18TH CENTURY	Someone working in the same style as Jacob Stainer, but not at the same period and not connected to Stainer.	This means that the work is of a similar style to Stainer, but there is no actual connection to Stainer other than similarities in craft or aesthetics.
24	A VIOLIN, IN THE MANNER OF / IN THE STYLE OF JACOB STAINER, ENGLAND, 19TH CENTURY	Someone working in the same style as Jacob Stainer, but not at the same period and not connected to Stainer.	This means that the work is of a similar style to Stainer, but there is no actual connection to Stainer other than similarities in craft or aesthetics.
25	A VIOLIN, AFTER JACOB STAINER, FRANCE, 19TH CENTURY	Someone made a copy or something very similar to a Jacob Stainer, but it was not made by Stainer	Usually this would be followed by the name of the maker that made it, but sometimes if that maker is unknown the description might be left quite vague.
26	A VIOLIN, LABELLED / BRANDED / STAMPED / INSCRIBED JACOB STAINER, GERMANY, CIRCA 1890	The violin has a label, brand, stamp or inscription which says Stainer, but it is clear that this instrument has nothing to do with Stainer.	Thousands of instruments have fake or replica labels or brands etc. This was / is very common practice for workshops making large quantities of instruments.
27	A VIOLIN, APOCRYPHALLY LABELLED JACOB STAINER, GERMANY, CIRCA 1890	It has a label that says Stainer but the auction house is telling you this label is not genuine.	Thousands of instruments have fake or replica labels or brands etc. This was / is very common practice for workshops making large quantities of instruments.
28	Generic Description Terminology	Meaning	Notes	Updates
29	A VIOLIN, GERMANY, 17TH CENTURY	The auction house aren't sure who made it, but they think its German and from the 17th century	Depending on the auction house, this could be a well informed description or a complete guess.
30	A VIOLIN, PROBABLY PARIS, 18TH CENTURY	The auction house aren't sure who made it, and they aren't completely sure where it's from either, but they think it's from Paris around the 18th century	Depending on the auction house, this could be a well informed description or a complete guess. If an auction house is being more specific about the city then this might mean there is some evidence in the instrument to support that attribution.
31	A VIOLIN, ENGLAND, CIRCA 1800	The auction house aren't sure who made it, but they think its English and made around 1800	Depending on the auction house, this could be a well informed description or a complete guess. If the auction house is giving a more accurate date, then there is probably some kind of evidence in the instrument to support that,
32	A VIOLIN, LATE 18TH CENTURY [DATE ATTRIBUTION - CENTURIES] - EARLY / MID / LATE / FIRST HALF / SECOND HALF	The auction house is giving an opinion on what part of a specific century the instrument was made.	Early 18th century would be around 1720 for example and second half of the 19th century would be 1850-1899.
33	A CONTEMPORARY VIOLIN	The auction house is telling you that this is a very modern / recent instrument	Probably something made within the last 30 years or so or by a living maker
34	A BAROQUE VIOLIN, CIRCA 1680 [STYLE / PERIOD ATTRIBUTION] BAROQUE / CLASSICAL / TRANSITIONAL / ROMANTIC / MODERN	The auction house is telling you that the instrument is in a specific period setup. The instrument may however not be from that specific time period.	Transitional is a term sometimes used to describe bows, whilst Romantic is more commonly used for guitars. If these term are used, the auction house would usually provide a date or further description for the instrument which would clarify the age of the instrument.
35	A GOOD VIOLIN, ENGLAND, CIRCA 1900 [DESCRIPTIVE WORDS] INTERESTING / FINE / IMPORTANT / GOOD / RARE ETC	The auction houses sometime add descriptive words to get you interested in the item. For the post part this doesn't really mean much, but in some cases they can allude to some historical or provenance related importance.	Sometimes fine is used to describe a valuable instrument or perhaps one in excellent condition made using fine materials. Words like important and rare may have some genuine historical reasoning behind their use depending on the circumstance. For example, if an auction house is selling a violin by a maker and it's the only one know to exist, it would be fair to say that this instrument is rare. Interesting usually means something that is undefinable but worthy of further investigation.
36	LABELLED [insert name] / UNLABELLED	The instrument has a labelled and it reads... or has no label	Mainly used for low end instrument description, an auction house may say that a instrument is labelled [insert name] or just state that it is unlabelled.
37	FURTHER LABELLED [insert name]	There is an additional label in the instrument alongside the main label.	Usually this is a repairers, importers or dealers label but it can also contain other information.
38	REPAIRED BY [insert name]	A maker has carried out a repair on this instrument and made a note about it somewhere inside the instrument. They did not make the instrument.	In the past it was common for repairers to put an inscription or label inside of an instrument, however nowadays this is usually frowned upon as it may attract unwanted or unfounded negative attention on the repairer at a later date.
39	BRANDED [insert name] / UNBRANDED	The instrument is branded and it reads... or has no brand	Mainly used for low end instrument or bow descriptions an auction house may say that a instrument is branded [xyz] or just state that it is unbranded.
40	STAMPED [insert name] / UNSTAMPED	The instrument is stamped and it reads.. or has no stamp	Mainly used for low end bow descriptions, an auction house may say that a bow is stamped [xyz] or just state that it is unstamped. This is a popular term for makers marks for bows in the US.
41	INSCRIBED [insert name]	The instrument has an inscription usually in pencil or ink somewhere internally or externally and it reads...	A lot of makers and repairs would put inscriptions inside instruments, these can be useful for attribution purposes.
42	[insert material] MOUNTED	Mostly used for bows, this terms describes the main materials used for some of the decorative and component parts of the bow.	For example, a silver-mounted bow, France, circa 1910
43	NUMBERED / BEARING THE NUMBER [insert number]	Some instruments are marked with inventory or workshop numbers which can be useful for identifying instruments in historical records. Others are number for unknown reasons.	For example the Hill workshop in London kept records of every instrument that came in for repair and they stamped numbers on these instruments which related to the records at the end of the fingerboards. This information can sometimes be used to find information about archiving and previous repairs in archives.
44	Supporting Terminology	Meaning	Notes	Updates
45	EX [insert name]	The former property of a famous or important person.	Usually a famous musician but could also be a famous owner. This is usually mentioned to add importance to the item and make it more valuable
46	PROPERTY OF [insert generic title]	Usually listed as property of a gentleman / lady or doctor etc.	This is an old fashioned auction term to denote an instrument that has come from an important or wealthy owner, either someone who does not want their name mentioned or someone who is not well known enough to be mentioned. This is supposed to mean that this is a high quality item from a high quality person.
47	FEATURED IN / AS SHOWN IN [insert book or publication]	This instrument was featured in a specific book or publication.	Usually this adds to the provenance and attribution of an item, but items do sometimes get misattributed and end up in publications all the time.
48	SOLD WITH THE CERTIFICATE OF [insert expert or dealer name and date]	It has a certificate from a dealer or expert stating what they think the instrument is.	A certificate is just someone's opinion, you need to research who is issuing the certificate and what there expertise is to understand how much to trust it. In general the more recent the certificate the better as knowledge and opinions do change over time. There are lots of makers/dealers that issues certificates that have little real knowledge on attributing instruments.
49	SOLD WITH CERTIFICATE OF THE MAKER	The maker of this instrument has supplied a certificate supporting its authenticity.	Not all certificates are genuine and not all instruments supplied by makers with certificates are actually their own work. There are many cases historically of fraudulent activities undertaken by makers themselves. You can always trust a certificate. However in most cases a certificate from the maker would usually be genuine.
50	SOLD WITH LETTER OF [insert maker/dealer/expert/shop name]	The instrument comes with a letter, this could be from a number of different sources and contain different kinds of information.	Most auction houses will show you what the letter contains or explain it in the description. Most letters are about appraisals or instrument valuations.
51	SOLD WITH RECEIPT OF [insert dealer/shop name]	The instrument comes with a receipt, usually from a dealer or shop.	This could be a purchase receipt or a repair receipt etc.
52	SOLD WITH INVOICE OF [insert dealer/shop name]	The instrument come with an invoice, usually from a dealer or shop.	This could be a purchase invoice or a repair invoice etc.
53	SOLD WITH [insert other items]	Sometimes items are sold with other items included. This could be anything from bows and cases to other instruments.	Sometimes auction house will included lower value items together in a lot with a higher value item. I have seen examples of one violin sold with three additional violins, so anything is possible.
54	DENDROCHRONOLOGY REPORT	Sometimes instruments have had dendrochronological studies carried out on their tops / soundboards to ascertain the date of the wood used in their construction.	This is getting more and more common to see at auctions, especially for high value lots. It can be a useful tool for attribution purposes, but it can also be quite misleading.
55	General Auction Terminology	Meaning	Notes	Updates
56	CITES - IVORY / TORTOISESHELL / BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD ETC	This items contains materials listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) list. These movement and export of these materials may be restricted or prohibited depending on geographical location and other terms.	The most relevant for musical instrument are ivory, tortoiseshell and brazilian rosewood. Be careful when buying items containing these materials as there use can be restricted. Travelling through international border with these materials is prohibited in a number of countries. For example in the US, auction house will not export items containing these materials outside of the country.
57	BUYER'S PREMIUM	This is the percentage of the final hammer price (winning bid) that you need to pay on top as a charge to the auction house. This is another way auction houses make money. Usually this is 18% of the hammer price and upwards.	Be careful when bidding because the buyer's premium can really add a lot of extra cost to the bidding process. All auctions houses have different premium percentages.
58	IMPORT TAX / OTHER TAXES	There are many other taxes that may be applicable when buying at auction, this could be import taxes of VAT.	Always check for additional charges before you bid.
59	CONDITION REPORT	This is a report that the auction house provides giving a general condition for the item.	Most auction houses provided this as an extra service and do not back the condition reports as being accurate. They always advise people to view the items in person and inspect them.
60	Physical Attributes / Condition Issue Terminology (Instruments) - not exhaustive	Meaning	Notes	Updates
61	FOR / IN NEED OF RESTORATION	The item is in need of a lot of restoration / repair work to bring it back to its former glory.	This will be an expensive / time consuming project. Probably best left for luthiers or dealers.
62	HEAD / SCROLL - LATER / BY ANOTHER HAND	The head or scroll is not original and has been made and replaced by another maker.	This is fairly common on older instruments.
63	TABLE / RIBS / BACK - LATER / BY ANOTHER HAND	The table and or ribs/back are not original and have been made and replaced by another maker	This is fairly common on older instruments.
64	CUT DOWN	The instrument was originally bigger, but it has been reduced down in size.	This is common for older instruments, especially cellos. Sometimes violas were cut down to be violins.
65	ENLARGED	The instrument was originally smaller, but it has been enlarged in size.	This sometimes happens with older instruments, smaller violins are sometimes enlarged as are some violas.
66	RIB EXTENSION / REDUCTION	Sometimes the height of instruments ribs has been reduced or increased.	This is sometimes carried out at the same time that instruments are enlarged or reduced.
67	REVARNISHED	The original varnish of the instrument has been removed and replaced with a newer varnish.	This is also quite common with some older instruments. It has a big effect on the value of an instrument.
68	WOODWORM	The instrument has suffered from woodworm intrusion. This means that a wood eating beetle has laid its eggs inside an instrument and its larvae have been eating it as they bore their way out to the surface.	Woodworm is problematic for all wood based musical instruments. The woodworm larvae carve out random tunnels throughout the instrument before making there way to the surface. It can be very difficult to know the extent and repair the damage caused.
69	OPEN CRACK / CLOSED CRACK	The instrument has cracks that need repair or cracks that have been repaired.	If cracks are open asses to see how much work it will need to repair them. If the cracks have been repaired check to see how well the repairs have been carried out. A bad previous repair can cause problems in the future.
70	EDGE CRACKS	Crack to the edges of the top or back of an instruments.	These crack can worsen if not attended to.
71	NEW WOOD	New wood has been added somewhere to the instrument, usually because of a previous accident or repair.	Depending on what part has been replaced, this can affect the value of the instrument.
72	IMPACT DAMAGE	The instrument has had some kind of accident where there has been an impact.	Check the level of damage and the repairs needed.
73	CHECKING	Raised fibres in the wood usually due to uneven wood drying	Not that common to see.
74	WOOD DEFECT	A natural defect in the structure of the wood such as a knot or sap hole.	This is common to see on some older instruments
75	MISSING WOOD	Parts of the instrument are missing.	This could be all different levels form minor bits of missing purfling to whole parts of the instrument that are missing. Check to see what is missing and what the costs would be to repair.
76	CRAQUELURE	Texture or cracking to the varnish of an instrument.	Can occur for different reasons, sometimes due to varnish composition and other times due to humidity / storage conditions.
77	STUD OR CLEAT	Small pieces of wood used to repair cracks or reinforce areas.	A common repair to see in older instruments.
78	SOUNDPOST CRACK - TOP / BACK	The top or back where the soundpost sits has cracked due to an ill fitting soundpost, impact damage or changes in environment.	Soundpost cracks have an impact on the value of an instrument and can be expensive to repair. Back soundpost cracks are particularly serious and can cause ongoing problems even once repaired.
79	SOUNDPOST PATCH - TOP / BACK	The instrument had a soundpost crack on the top or back, but this has now been repaired with a wood patch.	Check to see how well these repairs have been carried out. Having to redo these repairs will be expensive. Instruments with these kinds of repairs will have a lower value than those without.
80	BELL / BELLY PATCH	This is a large wood patch across almost the whole inside top or back of an instrument, usually after significant damage has occurred.	This kind of patch will mean the value of the instrument is reduced.
81	THROUGH PATCH	A patch on the outside of an instruments to cover up a repair by matching wood grain very closely.	This is a complicated repair usually carried out by a skilled restorer.
82	BASS BAR CRACK	This is a crack by the bass bar of an instrument.	This is a serious repair and can be expensive. This also devalues the instrument.
83	REPAIRED BASS BAR CRACK	This is a repaired crack by the bass bar of an instrument.	Check to see how well this repair has been made.
84	NECK GRAFT	The head / scroll of the instrument has been removed or replaced due to damage or instrument modification. The scroll has been cutaway from the neck and either replaced if damaged or refitted on a new neck.	This is very common old older violins that were made pre 1800 due to modifications made to instrument to increase the length of the necks of instruments. You also see this on high end modern copies and instruments that have had repairs.
85	HEEL GRAFT	Similar to the neck graft but at the neck heel of the instruments rather than at the scoll.	This is not as common as the neck graft, but you does see instruments with this repair.
86	CHEEK PATCH	Sometimes the scrolls of instruments have wood replaced in the cheeks of the scrolls due to cracks in the pegbox.	This was a common repair in the past but not used so often anymore.
87	ACOUSTIC PATCH	Where a think piece of wood or veneer has been added to an instrument but no damage is visible.	This is sometimes added to reinforce areas such as the the sound post from future damage.
88	HALF EDGING (EDGE DOUBLING)	Where the top has been removed several times for repair, sometimes the edges are so damaged that half of the edge or border of the top needs to be replaced with new wood in order to put the top back on.	This is fairly common with older instruments.
89	OPEN SEAMS	Some of the seams of the instrument are open in need gluing.	This is usually a straightforward repair.
90	NECK LOOSE / PULLED UP	The Neck has come loose from the body or moved position and needs repair. Most of the time this will also mean that the button has broken as well.	This can be an expensive repair.
91	BUTTON GRAFT / REPAIR	The button of the instrument which joins the body and neck has broken and been repaired.	Sometimes these repair can be done really badly, this can affect the value of an instrument.
92	CROWN	A crescent repair to the top of the button.	Usually made from ebony but sometimes other wood.
93	FILLER	Wood or synthetic material has been used to fill a damaged area.	This kind of repair is usually quite problematic.
94	PEG BUSHING	This is where the peg holes have been repaired or moved due to wear. The original holes are often plugged, and new holes are drilled in their place.	This is a common repair.
95	Condition Issue Terminology (Bows) - not exhaustive	Meaning	Notes	Updates
96	HEAD REPAIR	There has been a repair to the head of the bow.	Usually this might mean a crack or break that has been repaired with glue.
97	PINNED HEAD	There has been a repair to the head of the bow and this has been repaired with metal pins.	This was a common repair in the past but not used so often anymore.
98	SPLINED HEAD	There has been a repair to the head of the bow and this has been repaired with a spline of wood glued in the centre of the head.	This is the preferred method of repairing a broken head.
99	BUTT GRAFT	A repair to the end of the stick which meets the adjuster / button.	This repair is carried out when the end of the stick is cracked.
100	CHEVAL	The is a repair to the top part of the frog above the eye where wood is replaced.	This usually happens when the frog is cracked.