THE OSMIUM VIOLIN
THE ULTIMATE MASTERPIECE

PROJECT 2020-2023

Every person with a new idea is a nutcase. Until the idea succeeds.
[Mark Twain]

The special feature of this unique violin is its extraordinary fairy-tale sound and, moreover, it is currently the

MOST PRECIOUS, NEW VIOLIN OF THE WORLD

1. Presentation folder © July 2020 by Osmium-ART^©

Violine Geraendert
1. amended draft © August 2020 by Osmium-ART^©

PROJECT DATA

Masterminds
DI Kurt Assam & Karl Großschädl

Violin masterpiece maker
Edgar Russ

Project start
July 2020

Manufacturing time
32 months

Place of manufacture
Cremona/Italy

Model
ER-OS

String
Thomastik Infeld Blau

Body lengh
13,98 inch

Total lenght
23,4 inch

Weight
1,3 pound

Official Call price
price on demand

For any price inquiries contact the agency

WOOD MATERIALS

Cover
This front part of the sound box, in which the sound holes are also cut, the hoops on the ribs, the corner, upper and lower blocks on the inside of the rib, the bass bar and soundpost are made of Italian hazel spruce from Val dì Fiemme (South Tyrol, Bolzano North, Latemar), approx. 25-30 years old, bought as a whole trunk and split by the luthier himself.
Latin name: Picea Abies Pinaceae.

Back, sides and neck with scroll
These are made from a whole piece of flamed Bosnian sycamore maple, bought from a French clay wood dealer and stored for about 20 years. Only when processing clay wood by hand does one "understand" the truly outstanding quality. The quality of the woods used is truly fabulous, or rather fantastically good.
Latin name: Acer Aceraceae.

Fingerboard, upper saddle, lower saddle
The best ebony from Cameroon, which is very stable due to its enormous density and hardness and is over 30 years old, was used here.
Latin name: Ebano Diospyros ebenum.

Painting
This varnish was applied by hand in seven wafer-thin coats and is a secret recipe developed by the violin maker especially for this violin on the basis of linseed oil amber iron oxide pigments and much more, which must be stored for at least several years. Then the varnish gets this beautiful special brown colour with a slight tendency to green.

INLAY WORK

crystalline osmium
541 pieces custom-made Osmium Inlays
These Osmium Inlays were made according to an exact CAD plan by Edgar Russ, cut by wire erosion, certified with OIC (= Osmium Identification Code) and assigned an X-Code (= Osmium Jewellery Code) for the entire instrument.
Each individual osmium inlay was set by hand in 18 carat gold and worked into the violin.

high quality gemstones
298 pieces of brilliants, rubies, sapphires and tsavorites.
Every single gemstone was set by hand in 18-carat gold and worked into the violin between a gold vein. The largest diamond set in 18 carat gold is on the end button at the bottom of the violin, the matching pin is also made of18 carat gold, both completely handcrafted.

WORLD PREMIERE

The Osmium Violin meets Elena Denisova
Elena Denisova played this beautiful violin officially for the first time on 30 march 2023 in front of a select elite audience in the Trumpet Hall of the listed headquarters of the Austrian Post AG with a piece by J. S. Bach Ciaccona (from the Partita in D minor)

Elena Denisova, MFA
Elena Denisova, MFA © by Osmium-ART©

THE OSMIUM VIOLIN PROJECT TEAM

DI Kurt Assam / Edgar Russ / Karl Großschädl
Karl Großschädl / Edgar Russ / DI Kurt Assam © by Osmium-ART©

WHY A VIOLIN?

Edgar Russ, a native of Styria and now a recognised master violin maker in Cremona, was commissioned back in 2011 to build what was at the time the most expensive new violin for his Majesty, the Sultan of Oman, Qabus bin Said.

THE HISTORY OF ORIGINS CHRONOLOGICALLY IN FAST MOTION

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