The Stradivari "Hellier" is probably one of the most beautiful decorated violins. As you might know Antonio Stradivari learned to be an "intarsiatore", which stands for craftsman who decorates wooden made items, mainly furniture.
Very likely Amati, who was working close by in the same street, brought his violins to be decorated to the workshop where Stradivari worked. Slowly Stradivari started to make his own decorated violins.
The decorated instruments of Stradivari are very often carved and filled with black ebony sawdust; the ribs of the cellos are painted. Along the purfling on top and back he inserted between the two lines small ivory pieces.
This specific model used here on the "Hellier" is a quit large and big model with a great volume. That's why Master Edgar Russ loves to use this model also as a non decorated instrument.
This violin will have the fitting used on the original decorated Stradivari which is also carved in europena boxwood.
Edgar Russ loves this challenge to make a copy of one of the most famous great Masters..