Czechoslovakia
Folk-crafted

Wood, metal, acrylic
ca. 1918-1938
Length: 25.5 in; Width: 8.13 in; Depth: 1.63 in;
Resonator Length: 13.88 in
Lutes – Violin Family – Folk Fiddle

Label inside reads: Antonius Straiuarius’  Cremonensis / Faciebat anno 1727
Second label inside reads: A5 14 

Fiddles are violins, but over time and usage, some have been called folk fiddles with their slightly different shapes and playing styles.  This 8-string Pine Fiddle with animal head (fox) was made in Czechoslovakia, post 1918.  It is a reproduction Stradivarius with serious modifications.  At the top of this folk fiddle is a peghead carved in the shape of a fox head, in place of a scroll.  The eight Kluson guitar tuning pegs (sealed machine heads) are side mounted by screws with four on each side. The bridge at the top and the tailpiece are acrylic. The main bridge is by Akubert that has been made to accommodate the double-course (8) strings. Except for these alterations, the violin has the standard ebony fingerboard, detailed purfling on the front and back, a vertical two-piece back and chin rest.

Czechoslovakia was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary.  In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland became part of Nazi Germany, while the country lost further territories to Hungary and Poland (the territories of southern Slovakia with a predominantly Hungarian population to Hungary and Zaolzie and a predominant Polish population to Poland.) Between 1939 and 1945, the state ceased to exist.  After World War II, Czechoslovakia was reestablished under its pre-1938 borders, except for Carpathian Ruthenia. Then on 12/31/1992, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the two sovereign states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

This fiddle comes from the Fred and Estelle Spector Estate, Chicago, (Lincoln Park), Illinois. Fred Spector was a Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist and lifelong Chicagoan. His passion for music was reflected in his collection, which included violins and string instrument-related decorative arts as seen on this website.

Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovakia