Name: dendrochronological dating and provenancing of string instruments
Uploaded: 2022-10-06T14:50:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments at JoVE.com

This study was supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) Program P4-0015 (Wood and lignocellulosic composites) and the Young Researchers&#39; Program.

1. Inspection and description of a stringed musical instrument&#160;-&#160;violin
NOTE: Violins are the most frequently investigated stringed instruments. Therefore, we describe the procedure on a violin.
<ol>
	<li>Examine the instrument and all its parts. Take detailed photos of the front (top), back, side, scroll, and label along with the measuring scale for the final report and the archive (Figure 1).</li>
	<li>Examine the top plate of...

<ol>
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Geigen- und Lautenmacher des Barock. , 266-275 (2015).</li><li>Eckstein, D., Bauch, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Beitrag+zur+Rationalisierung+eines+dendrochronologischen+Verfahrens+und+zur+Analyse+seiner+Aussagesicherheit.">Beitrag zur Rationalisierung eines dendrochronologischen Verfahrens und zur Analyse seiner Aussagesicherheit.</a> Forstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt. 88, 230-250 (1969).</li><li>Baillie, M. G. L., Pilcher, J. 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The presented protocol describes the procedure of the dendrochronological dating of a violin. The procedure includes several critical steps. The first one is to identify the tree rings in order to properly measure their width. This is critical because the tree rings are often very narrow or have unclear boundaries due to the small amount of latewood (step 1.3). The detection of tree rings can be complicated by aging of the wood, dark and opaque varnishes28, or damage, repairs, retouching, or dirt ...

An erratum was issued for:&#160;<a href="https://www.jove.com/t/64591">Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments</a>. The Authors section was updated from:
Katarina &#268;ufar1 
Bla&#382; Dem&#353;ar2 
Micha Beuting3 
Angela Balzano1 
Nina &#352;krk1 
Luka Kr&#382;e1 
Maks Merela1 
1Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana 
2University of Ljubljana 
3Universitat Hamburg
to:
Katarina &#268;ufar1 
Bla&#382; Dem&#353;ar2 
Micha Beuting2 
Angela Balzano1 
Nina &#352;krk1 
Luka Kr&#382;e1 
Maks Merela1 
1Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana 
2Independent Scholar

An erratum was issued for:&#160;<a href="https://www.jove.com/t/64591">Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments</a>. The Authors section was updated.

Erratum: Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments

The goal of this study is to present a protocol for the dendrochronological analysis of tree rings on the top plate of a wooden musical stringed instrument. Dendrochronology is used as a method to determine the age of the wood of the instrument by determining the year in which the youngest tree ring on the plate was formed and after which the instrument was made (or before which the instrument could not have been made).
Dating a musical instrument (such as a violin) is an important step in its authentication1,2,3,4,5,6. It is a complex process that involves the year in which the instrument was made, as well as the maker or instrument-making school or geographical area. To do this, dendrochronology is often combined with other techniques, which include the study of the label on the instrument (which is often not reliable) and the inspection of the instrument and its parts such as the outlines, scroll, wood figure and aging, varnish, f-holes, and purfling (Figure 1). The authentication can only be done by experts5,6,7.
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/64591/64591fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: The top of the violin and its parts. The wood of the top plate (also called the front plate, belly, or soundboard) made of Norway spruce (Picea abies) can be dated by dendrochronology. The characteristics and dimensions of other parts such as the scroll, f-holes, and purfling are studied by organologists and help to authenticate the instrument. Scale = 20 cm. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64591/64591fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
Dendrochronology is the science of dating tree rings in the wood, also called annual rings, growth rings, or growth layers, which are formed every year in the trees of temperate zones. Dendrochronology clarifies in which calendar year a particular tree ring was formed. By dating the outermost and most recently formed tree ring just below the bark, the last year of a tree&#39;s life before it was cut down can be determined.
Dendrochronology is based on the principle that annual variations in tree ring width (and other characteristics) are largely influenced by the environment, especially the climate, in which the trees grow. When conditions are similar over an area, trees of the same species show similar tree ring variations from year to year8. This means that the tree ring series (i.e., the temporal sequence of tree ring widths over time) is similar for trees of the same species in the same area.
The dating of wooden instruments follows the principles used for dating historical objects. In most cases, it is based on measuring tree ring width, creating tree ring series of the same object, cross-dating (to determine their matching position), and averaging them into a floating chronology of an object showing the tree ring series in relative time3,4,6.
Absolute dating (determining the calendar year of tree ring formation) is accomplished by cross-dating with one or more reference chronologies established for a particular tree species and geographic area4,6.&#160;The reference chronologies must be based on the tree ring widths of a sufficient number of trees (replication) and should be long enough to cover the period of interest.
Dendrochronology is regularly applied to determine the age of stringed instruments such as violins, violas, and cellos1,9,10,11,12,13. For stringed instruments, the wood of the top plates (also the front plate, belly, or soundboard) can be dated. They are usually made of Norway spruce (Picea abies) or silver fir (Abies alba)4,6,13. The measurements must be made in a non-invasive way directly on the instrument or by using images. The measurements are usually made at different locations on the top plate to establish a sequence for the instrument that can be dated with reference chronologies.
Dating is the most critical step because a reference chronology must be available for the species, geographic area, and time period of the instrument being studied. Many chronologies are available at the International Tree Ring Data Bank (ITRDB)14,&#160;but only a few are of Norway spruce or silver fir from the region covering the period of interest6; therefore, dendrochronology laboratories put a lot of effort into constructing reference chronologies. The likelihood of dating increases if a network of chronologies is available, including those from exactly defined forest sites, dated instruments, and instrument collections from various manufacturers like the Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati families from Italy5,6,15,16, Jacob Stainer from Austria, as well as Joachim Tielke and members of the Hoffmann family from Germany17,18,19. The fine historical instruments made by the manufacturers in the 16th century to 18th century are most prized by musicians and collectors, although the importance of many less-known makers is also growing3,4,6,12.
Dendrochronology provides the end date, which must be considered the terminus post quem &#8211;&#160;the year after which the instrument was made. Dendrochronology is also used for dendroprovenancing, which helps to determine the geographic origin of the wood and to assign instruments to specific violin makers or violin-making schools3,4,6.
The dendrochronological end date almost never coincides exactly with the year the instrument was made, and the latter must, thus, be estimated, which requires a lot of supporting information and cooperation between experts of different fields.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>CDendro</td>
			<td>Cybis Elektronik &#38; Data AB</td>
			<td>https://www.cybis.se</td>
			<td>program CoDendro for dendro data management and crossdating</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CooRecorder</td>
			<td>Cybis Elektronik &#38; Data AB</td>
			<td>https://www.cybis.se</td>
			<td>program CooRecorder to measure tree ring widths on images</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TSAP-Win</td>
			<td>RINNTECH</td>
			<td>https://rinntech.info/products/tsap-win/</td>
			<td>Time series analysis software</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

dendrochronological dating and provenancing of string instruments

Dendrochronology, the science of dating tree rings in the wood, defines in which calendar year a particular tree ring was formed. The method can be used to determine the age and authentication of wooden musical instruments. We present a protocol describing how to perform a dendrochronological analysis on stringed instruments and how to interpret the dating. The protocol describes the basic steps in the analysis of top plates, which are usually made of Norway spruce (Picea abies) or, more rarely, silver fir (Abies alba). First, the top plate is carefully inspected, and then the tree ring widths are measured directly on the instrument using high-resolution images. After completing the measurements, a tree ring sequence of the instrument is created, and, in the next step, dating is performed with a number of reference chronologies of the tree species from different geographical areas and instruments. The specialists who date the instruments also invest work in creating reference chronologies. The dendrochronological report provides the dating of an instrument as a calendar year (end date), indicating the year in which the last (most recent) tree ring on the top plate was formed when the tree was still alive. The end date represents the terminus post quem, the year after which the instrument was made or before which it could not have been made. To estimate the year of manufacture, one must consider the time required for wood drying and storing and the number of tree rings removed during wood processing. This protocol is intended to help those commissioning such an analysis to better understand how the analysis is performed and how to interpret the dendrochronological reports in terms of the age, origin, maker, and authenticity of the instrument.

A typical case in which a dendrochronological study was requested is a violin allegedly made by Andrea Guarneri of Cremona belonging to the family/school that produced numerous valuable instruments16,24. The violin in question contained two labels. One stated that the instrument was made by Andrea Guarneri of Cremona in 1747, while the other stated only 1867. However, the organological examination of the violin (Figure 3) suggested t...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments at JoVE.com

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments

The dendrochronological analysis of a stringed instrument requires inspecting the top plate, measuring the tree ring widths, establishing the chronology of the instrument, and dating through determining the end date-the year of the formation of the most recent tree ring.

Dendrochronology, the science of dating tree rings in the wood, defines in which calendar year a particular tree ring was formed. The method can be used ...

Dendrochronology is the science of tree rings in the wood. It can be used to determine the age and origin of wooden musical instruments, like a violin. Dendrochronology clarifies in which calendar year a particular tree ring was formed.We can estimate when the tree was felled, where it was growing, and when the violin was made. This protocol will help you to better understand how the dendrochronological analysis is performed, how to interpret the report, and how to determine whether, or not the violin is original. Dr.Angela Balzano, Nina Skrk Dolar, and Luka Krze, researchers from our laboratory, prepared the demonstration of the procedure.We are collaborating on this project with Blaz Demsar, a violin maker from Ljubljana, Slovenia, who has provided the violins for the demonstration of the protocol. Dr.Micha Beuting, a publicly accredited and sworn expert for dendrochronological investigations on musical instruments by the Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg, Germany, who has helped us with reference chronologies, and demonstrated how a report should look like. To begin, examine the instrument and all its parts.Take detailed photos of the top, back, side, scroll, and label, along with the measuring scale for reporting and archive. Examine the top plate of the instrument to understand its construction. Check whether the top plate is made of one, two, or more parts, and how they are joined together.On the radial board of the top plate, examine the structure and orientation of the tree rings. The rings are seen as bands of annual growth layers, consisting of light colored early wood and darker late wood, and delimited by the tree ring boundaries. Based on the location and transition of early wood to late wood, determine which side is the bark and which side is the pith.Usually, the most recently formed tree rings, which were closer to the bark, are located at the joint in the center of the top plate. First, inspect the widest parts on each piece of the top plate. Check for any damage, repairs, retouching, or dirt, and select the areas where the varnish is transparent enough to see the tree rings.If the instrument is opened and the top plate can be removed, measure the tree rings on the underside of the top plate, where no varnish is applied. Ensure that the selected area has the greatest number of tree rings, and that the boundaries between the rings can be recognized. Using a magnifying lens, or stereo microscope, try to clearly see the tree rings that were near the bark for an accurate identification.Mark the measuring line in the direction from the bark to the pith, and place a measuring scale on the board. For image analysis, place the top plate of the violin on the scanner, and scan the parts selected for the tree ring measurement using a resolution of 1, 200 DPI, or greater, and a high depth of field. For editing the images, use a graphics editing program.Check the quality of the image, and adjust the color, brightness, and contrast to best see the annual growth rings and the boundaries between them, and save the images. Start an image analysis system, preferably one designed for the automatic and manual detection of tree rings and the measurement of tree ring width. Open the image and set the calibration by measuring the distance of a known length on the measurement scale as part of the image.Start the measurement by clicking on the tree ring boundaries, and note whether the first tree ring measured is closer to the bark, or closer to the pith. To measure the distance between the tree rings, click the tree ring boundaries manually if the automatic detection of tree ring width is not possible, or requires too many corrections. Measure all the tree ring widths along the measurement line.Save the data as the tree ring series with each tree ring width recorded for a specific relative year. The output of this measurement is a table of tree ring widths versus time in relative years. For data processing, open the data file containing the tree ring widths in millimeters against years.For cross-dating, open the tree ring series to be cross-dated, and another tree ring series of the same instrument to serve as a reference. Run the cross-dating to move them into the synchronous position. Check for the main cross-dating parameters used in the study of violins.Consider the parameters significant. The Baillie and Pilcher T-value, or TVBP, is a minimum of four, and the Hollstein T-value, or TVH, is at least four, and if the concordance coefficient, or Glk, percent is at least 65%Consider the overlap, which indicates the overlapping period of two tree ring series in years. When the two tree ring series are on the same relative timescale, save the position of the series.Repeat this step until all the tree ring series of each board and instrument are cross-dated. Then to create the chronology of the violin, observe the graphs, and select those that have no measurement arrows. If the agreement between the series within the instrument is statistically significant, average all the tree ring series into one chronology of the violin.Cross-date the chronology of the violin with several reference chronologies. Perform the cross-dating with the reference chronologies. Then check the parameters of the agreement and visually assess the proposed dating proposition.For successful dating, ensure that the same end date is confirmed by multiple chronologies with statistically significant parameters, as well as by visual comparison of the sequences. As the final result of the dendrochronological analysis, report the end date indicating the year in which the last, or most recent tree ring on the top plate was formed when the tree was still alive. Use the information on the original label and other sources to estimate the number of years required for wood drying and storing, and the number of tree rings removed during wood processing.Add this value, which usually ranges between 50 to 20 years, to the end date to propose the potential date of manufacture of the instrument. To validate the authenticity of the violin, confirm the assumptions about the age, maker, and area of origin. Write a report that includes the dendrochronological end date and sufficient information about the investigation that may help in the interpretation of the dating.An historical violin was inscribed with two labels in the inside of the violin body, one stating that the instrument was made by Andrea Guarneri of Cremona in 1747, and the other stating only 1867. However, organological examination of the top, back, and the scroll of the violin suggested that it was probably about 300 years old. The top plate was made of two radial boards of Norway spruce.The tree rings were very narrow, averaging 0.69 millimeters, and the end date of the youngest tree ring on the plate was determined to be 1640. Dendrochronological cross-dating performed using over 110 reference chronologies of spruce covering the periods from 1137 to 2009 revealed an end date of 1640. Tree ring series of the violin showed statistically significant similarity, and the end date 1640 was confirmed with more than 70 reference chronologies from different forest sites and historic buildings, mainly in Austria and Germany, as well as individual instruments and instrument collections of violin makers, like Jacob Stainer.This result presents the dating with a widely used reference chronology of a high elevation alpine stand in Austria, constructed and published by Veronica Siebenlist Kerner in 1984. Thus, the instrument was built after 1640, and is much older than proposed by the inscriptions on the labels. In this procedure, one must clearly see the tree ring for correct measurements.Also, adequate reference chronologies are needed for dating. Dendrochronology is often combined with other techniques, like the study of the label, and the inspection of the instrument and its parts. Dendrochronology benefits from the improvement of imaging techniques and promotes the development of networks of reference chronologies, and also the improvement of dendroprovenancing methods.

Research

JoVE Journal

Environment

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