The Gentile Collection

Paul Gentile's attention to detail is a model of inspired workmanship and vision. He has successfully captured the essence of Stradivari's artistry by replicating the original violin, comprising a total of 500 pieces, using matching woods and materials such as ebony, spruce, boxwood, willow and old ivory.

The Hellier is one of the ten decorative instruments that Antonio Stradivari himself created.

The baroque design was not applied in ink but carved into the sides and scroll then filled in with a black compound, leaving the design pattern. Amazingly, this is equivalent to cutting along each side of a human hair and removing its center without error.

The baroque inlay (which is about the thickness of a human hair) around the sides and scroll of the instrument is but one indication of the fineness of Gentile's work. The 476 pieces of ivory (each about the size of a grain of salt) in the inlay border work required 2 1/2 months of painstaking dedication. The inlay was made in a carved out section of a five-layered strip of blackened pear wood and holly. This compelling design begins and ends with a single dot. Testimonials.

Subtle varnishing techniques were used to mimic the exact patina of the original. The ivory detailing on the boxwood tuning pegs was meticulously hand turned using tooling that Gentile has made himself.

The total construction time on this magnificent miniature was 8 1/2 months.

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