Violin’s questionable provenance solved by Basel Museum researchers

The Basel Historical Museum (HMB) has investigated the provenance of a supposedly valuable violin, shedding light on whether the instrument is genuine. Switzerland has a complex history of handling looted art, with controversies surrounding pieces taken from Jewish families during the Nazi era or acquired at undervalued prices. Prominent cases like the Bührle Collection and the Gurlitt trove have prompted museums to scrutinise the origins of their artworks. The HMB has extended this research to include its extensive collection of musical instruments, the largest in Switzerland. Among the objects studied was a violin attributed to 18th-century Italian luthier Nicolò Gagliano, whose authenticity had been questioned. The role of a dubious dealer The violin’s murky history stems from its sale by Henry Werro, a Swiss violin maker and dealer notorious for his involvement in the "violin war" of the 1950s. Werro was convicted of fraud after removing labels from older violins and affixing ...