Name of Instrument: viola

Maker / Brand: Gio. Maria del Bussetto [spurious?] (through Franciolini)

Stearns Catalog #: 1292

Country of Origin: Cremona, Italy

Region of Origin: Europe

Instrument Category: Chordophone

Date of Fabrication: 1546 [spurious?]

Location: CHO G 1

Description: This instrument may have come to the Stearns Collection from a highly questionable source--Leopoldo Franciolini. Many Franciolini instruments are forgeries or interesting hybrids of original instruments and scrap wood. In this case, we have a viola that has a forged printed label that reads, "Gio Maria de Bussetto fece in Cremona 1546." While the instrument is rich with original features, it is obviously a forgery. The maker Bussetto is known to have worked from 1640 to 1681; however, the forgery artist missed the date by a century. Only a few of Bussetto's instruments have survived. This instrument appeared in Franciolini's illustrated catalogues with the following text, "Large size viola, four strings, of maple, Signed Gio. Maria del Bussetto, fece in Cremona, 1846. 300 lire."

Research: Dr. Bruce Mitchell Smith and William Monical