Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin I was born in Mirecourt in 1841 and moved to Paris in 1867. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1878 & 1889 he received the silver medal, and gold in 1900, for which his son, Collin-Mezin II (1870-1934) was named collaborator. The family firm relocated to Mirecourt in 1925, after CM Pere’s death in 1923, and continued to flourish into the third generation, led by Collin-Mezin III, Charley, and Jean Larcher. Whereas CM II eventually developed his own style, perhaps best characterized by the ‘Le Victorieux’ model, Charley (b. 1910) was responsible for the ‘Exceptionnel’ series.

This Parisian example of Collin-Mezin II's work from 1911 is made very much in the style of his father, and remains in virtually mint condition after some 114 years in circulation. The double-fillet (purfling) of this Guarneri model would become the inspiration for later Mirecourt models which featured an extra turn in the volutes of the scroll. Having said that, although the scroll on this violin is traditional it most certainly lacks very little in terms of execution and elegance. Well selected maple of tight irregular flame, and a two-piece back measuring a desirable 355mm.