MS no. 205-209

MS no. 205-209
Collection G. Fiorini
Walnut

Form with autograph of Stradivari, repeated by Count Cozio Salabue: (1690 Forma nuova per il contralto fatta ha posta per il Illu.mo Grande Principe di Fiorenza ) 1690 new shape for the contralto has made for Illu.mo Great Prince of Fiorenza (Sacconi p. 204, The Secrets of Stradivarius)

According to Marco D’Agostino-La scrittura di Antonio Stradivari pag.15- it is possible to read at the top (handwritten by Stradivari): (1690/Forma nova per il…Fatta/ Ha posta per il Ser.mo Gran. Principe / di Firenze) 1690 / New mould for ... Made for Great. Prince of Florence. The same text is reported by A. Mosconi and Carlo Torresani, The Stradivari Museum of Cremona, p.77.

Also according to D'Agostino the inscription at the bottom: (Antonio Stradivari/ Adi 4 ottobre 1690/forma nuova per il Contralto ossia viola a quatro/ corde fatta ha posta per il gran principe/ di Toscana, ossia di firenze) Antonio Stradivari, October 4th, 1690 / form for the new Alto that 4 strings viola made for the great prince of Tuscany, that is of Florence, is to be referred to a century before hand, which has also copied the letters CV below

Dimensions:

Lenght including upper and lower blocks: 403
Lenght without upper blocks:  397          
Max upper width:                    177            177,5
Max lower width                      233            233,5
Width in the middle of CC:      118            118

Distance between the parallel lines plotted transversely to the mould at the tips: upper 32 mm - lower 29 mm, these measures correspond to the radius for the curves of the upper and lower points.
Height of ribs: mm mm 37, 39
Thickness of the mould mm 17 (S) - (17)
Models made of maple wood for cutting upper and lower blocks and tips, marked with the letters CV, by Antonio Stradivari:
Upper: mm 60,5x15
Lower: mm 54x15,5
Upper points: mm 12x31,5
Lower points: mm 13xx29