This violin would have been made for the Royal Household either late in the reign of Charles II (r. 1660-1685) or during the reign of James II (r. 1685-1688). The ornate carving on the back would have been highly fashionable at about this time, and it includes the Royal Stuart coat of arms before the royal arms were modified at the time of the accession of William III and Queen Mary in 1688. Victoria and Albert Museum
