Violin-making is sometimes called a "lost art." More than 300 years ago, Italian great violin maker Antonio Stradivari succeeded in raising the craft of violin-making to the level of perfection. The master, however, died in 1737 without passing on the secrets of his acoustically perfect violins, even to his sons who assisted him.
According to modern research, factors such as a violin's design, varnish, the thickness of front and back, and even the condition of microscopic pores within the wood influence the beauty of the violin's tones. However, to this day, no one has actually determined how to make violins as perfect as Stradivari's.
"Violins are full of mysteries, which keeps me fascinated with violin-making," says Chang Heryern Jin, a Korea-born violin craftsman who lives in Tokyo. Chang's violins are highly esteemed and favored by many professional musicians. His newly produced violins are priced at 1.5 million yen, but decades-old ones go for more than 3 million yen.