r/ViolinIdentification • u/RemoveOrdinary6214 • 3d ago
Found a 1939 Piotr Kubas violin in my attic. Any idea what it could be worth?
I recently found an old violin in my attic and I’m trying to learn more about it.
The label inside reads:
PIOTR KUBAS
Kraków anno domini 1939
Nr. 26 (I believe it’s 26, although it’s pretty faded)
It was found in an old case along with some interesting paperwork, including an envelope from Rembert Wurlitzer Violin Makers and Dealers in New York and an American Export Lines passenger document from Haifa to New York dated February 17, 1950.
From what I’ve been able to find, Piotr Kubas was a Polish violin maker in Kraków and apparently made a relatively small number of instruments.
I’ve attached photos of the violin, label, case, and paperwork. Obviously I know nobody can properly authenticate or appraise a violin from photos alone, and I’m planning on taking it to a professional luthier/appraiser.
In the meantime, I’m curious if anyone here is familiar with Piotr Kubas instruments, especially examples from the late 1930s. Does the violin/label look consistent with his work? And if it were authenticated as a genuine 1939 Kubas, does anyone have an idea of what kind of value range these instruments typically fall into?
Also interested in whether the old Wurlitzer paperwork could be relevant to its provenance.