A non-invasive approach to the study and characterization of the Antonio Stradivari handwritings

The most important collection of the Antonio Stradivari finds, which includes paper and wooden molds, drawings, annotations, wooden forms and tools, are preserved in the Museo del Violino of Cremona. These finds represent a precious historic heritage since they contain indications and technical notes of the great luthier and provides organologic clues essential to the design and construction of musical instruments. After Antonio Stradivari death (first half of the 18th century) over the centuries, new annotations and handwritings were added to the original finds, often imitating the Stradivari handwriting [1]. The present research was focused on the study and characterization of selected finds objects with written annotation by the use of non-invasive methods in order to obtain precious conservative and archaeometric information. The finds object of this research were selected on the basis of the historical importance and the study was performed through a rigorous preliminary paleographic method [2]. The analytical campaign starts with the observation of surface details through: photography in the visible range, photography of the UV-light induced fluorescence and observations by stereoscopic microscope with a high resolution camera, which is able to perform micrometric measurements of lengths and areas. The elemental study of handwriting inks has then been performed by means of X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Figure 1 displays, as an example, a general view in visible range of the recto and verso cardboard model relative to a violoncello and the image, acquired by stereo-microscope, of a detail of a letter in the recto handwriting. The detail image shows some features of the ink, which exhibits not homogeneous colour (from dark brown to brown) and the presence of halos around the ink due to Fe ions.