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The Museo Stradivariano of Cremona contains many drawings and paper templates for case fittings, and it is natural to assume that Stradivari played at least some part in making cases for his instruments. Only a few have survived; one is a mandolin case now kept at the National Music Museum in South Dakota, U.S.A., and another is a top-opening violin case which was illustrated in the Hill book on Stradivari and displayed at the Cremona Stradivari exhibition of 1987 in Cremona.
This third example has never been shown before, and was recently acquired by the London dealer Peter Biddulph. It is unique in its ornate decoration and end-opening design. his is usually described as the “holster” type, and the hinged lower part requires that the instrument is slid head-first into the case. There are disadvantages to this, since it means constant wear on the varnish as the violin is pulled in and out, and also that the bow is apparently stowed loosely inside and free to rub and knock against the violin. It was evidently intended as a relatively lightweight case for everyday use, predominantly decorated with gilt chasing in the leather covering, and with a strap attached so that it could be slung over the shoulder of the musician. he top-opening Stradivari violin case is by comparison quite heavy, being thoroughly covered with decorative nail-heads and with an iron handle at the end and a flat under-surface, making it impractical for day-to-day use. It was almost certainly used for longer distance transportation by carriage and permanent storage.
This “holster” case bears the inscription STRADIVARIO A. CRE. (Stradivari in Cremona) twice on the tooled leather covering, and also the motto Ecco la cetra e dia principio al canto (Here is the lute so let the song begin) beneath a musical stave. The crest of a so-far unknown family is in the centre of the ornament.
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