Otto Möckel (1931)

Otto Möckel (1869–1937) ranks among the most important German violin makers of the early twentieth century. Born in Berlin, he learned the craft from his father Oswald Möckel and trained further with Carl Grimm, among others, as well as during a stay in London. From 1908 to 1912 he ran his own workshop in Dresden before taking over his father's workshop in Berlin. This cello, built in 1931, therefore dates from his mature Berlin period. Möckel frequently took his lead from classical Italian models, above all those of Guarneri del Gesù, yet developed his own ideas about the construction and tonal adjustment of his instruments. He also became widely known through his reference book Die Kunst des Geigenbaues, published in 1930, which is still regarded as an important standard work.