Violin by Honoré Derazey, Mirecourt circa 1860

About Honoré Derazey

Honoré Derazey was born in 1794 and completed his apprenticeship in Mirecourt. He then moved to Paris and worked for several makers, including Jean Baptiste Vuillaume between 1830 and 1839. Derazey was the only maker to produce complete violins for Vuillaume: this accolade speaks volumes about the quality of his work and his sophisticated understanding of the Vuillaume model.

Derazey returned to Mirecourt to set up independently and quickly became very successful. He was awarded medals at the Paris exhibitions of 1839, 1849 and 1855, as well as in London in 1851. His son Justin Derazey took over the workshop in 1879 and was able to ensure its continued success, albeit with more of a focus on workshop-produced instruments.

About the violin

The violin was made in Mirecourt around 1860 and is modelled after the instruments of Stradivari.

The violin has a one piece back of very attractive narrow-flamed maple with scroll to match. The ribs are also of quarter-sawn maple and the front is two pieces of spruce. The varnish is a shaded golden-amber in colour.

The violin has a length of back of 359 mm.

How does it sound?

This is a brilliant violin with a big sound! It's projecting and even, with sparkle in the upper register and grit in the lower. It's a quintessentially French violin, incapable of making an ugly sound.

Condition

The violin is in very good restored condition.

More information

For more options, please view other violins in this price range.