This instrument follows a longer interpretation of the Stradivari-inspired model that Vuillaume used for his 15½-inch violas, and is one of only a small number which Vuillaume made with a back length of 16½ inches. Its design appears to be based on a specific Stradivari viola, possibly the “Russian” of 1715, now part of the Russian State Collection in Moscow. Unlike many of Vuillaume’s instruments from the 1840s and 50s, this instrument shows no signs of antiquing. Nevertheless, the subdued golden-brown varnish lends it a sense of age – quite unlike the pristine appearance of many of his antiqued instruments. Closer examination reveals that the instrument is in exceptionally fine condition and, in many respects, may be regarded as a viola-sized, older sibling to the celebrated Messiah copy violins that Vuillaume produced in the 1860s and 1870s. This viola was featured in Sotheby’s 2012 exhibition of the work of J.B. Vuillaume.