Ernest Tschaggeny (1857-1914) was a violinist and a student at the Brussels Conservatory. He was also interested in the viola d'amore, for which he transcribed and arranged works. These manuscripts are still part of the collections of the Brussels Royal Conservatory today. During his career, Tschaggeny gathered a rich collection of historic bows by Tourte, Peccatte and other renowned bow makers, as well as some remarkable instruments. In 1920, following the death of his brother, Frédéric Tschaggeny donated the collection to the museum., in keeping with his wishes. The collection consisted of...
Ernest Tschaggeny (1857-1914) was a violinist and a student at the Brussels Conservatory. He was also interested in the viola d'amore, for which he transcribed and arranged works. These manuscripts are still part of the collections of the Brussels Royal Conservatory today. During his career, Tschaggeny gathered a rich collection of historic bows by Tourte, Peccatte and other renowned bow makers, as well as some remarkable instruments. In 1920, following the death of his brother, Frédéric Tschaggeny donated the collection to the museum., in keeping with his wishes. The collection consisted of 68 bows, five violins, four violas, a viola d'amore and a gamba quartet, especially built for the donor by Hilaire Darche.
In 1940, at the beginning of World War II, six particularly valuable instruments were stored in a basement. By 1942, however, it became clear that unfavorable preservation conditions had damaged all the pieces. Some instruments were restored; others remained broken into pieces, such as this violin by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (inv. 3499).
