Felice Mori Costa

Felice Mori Costa’s instruments are distinctive in their model and choice of wood. The very individual f-holes of the violins dated circa 1800 and circa 1810 are typical of his work — one f-hole is often set a little higher than the other, in the manner of a late Stradivari, and they tend to lean slightly outwards, with the inner nicks cut only halfway through the front. The wood of his backs is often quite plain or only lightly figured, as in these two examples, but his varnish can be of a very high quality.

The lack of original labels in all three instruments featured here explains why Mori Costa remains a relatively unknown maker. When not following his own model, his primary influence was G.B. Guadagnini, as can be seen in the circa 1820 violin, made only 50 years after Guadagnini himself left Parma.