Works from the World's Earliest Luthiers in the Chimei Collection
Trade routes across continental Europe had been well established by the 16th century, commercial and cultural exchanges between cities throughout Europe were also common. As instrumental compositions grew increasingly popular and the status of the great luthier families gradually rose, the luthier industry as a whole also flourished. Political and regional factors, as well as personal and popular interests, all had an impact on instrument makers as they were free to imitate instruments made by more famous luthiers; however, they also did their best to exhibit their own stylistic creativity. Luthiers across Europe combined local and foreign styles to meet the demands of the musical forms and timbres of the times, creating a variety of unique characteristics over time. This display area travels thorough time and space to represent the earliest instruments of the violin family, displaying the instruments that best depict the origins of violin making in various countries and the amazing craftsmanship among the luthier masters who had the greatest impact on the history of violin making.
