About 4 years ago I bought a full sized violin of an old man who I was told about by a friend. I bought it for only $450AUD. Two months later, this man died.

When I showed the violin to my teacher, she was amazed. The violin has no sticker or identification anyware - nothing inside of it). It is a dark brown, not the typical light brown coloured wood of new suzukis and suchlike.

And - you know The double band of inlaid ebony around the edges of violins (if forget what it is called). Well, this violin has double strips (4 all up, rather than the usual two). And, on the back of the violin, all through the soundboard is the most amazingly intricated design of inlaid wood) On the tailpiece is an inlaid mother-of-pearl butterfly.

The violin is obviously old, and has all of the usual dings and stuff. The sound it makes is unbelievable - comparable, if not of higher quality to my teachers $30 000 piece. My teacher seems to think it may have an Italian origin.

I wish I could send pictures, but I am living in Slovakia for a year, and the violin is at home in Australia.

Can anyone give me any information of the history, approximate value and suchlike just from my description?

Thanks

I surely don`t know who made it or how old it is, but how does the inside smell, bad/good?

Or better yet, what color is the inside of the violin. I actually have a old violin with no label of any kind. I can tell that it`s old from it being dark and smelly like mold or meldew. As stringed instruments age the insides usually get darker and smellier as they get older.