Master-Grade European Spruce Viola Top Plate

🇨🇦 Joseph Kun Estate 16″+ Viola Top Plate – European Spruce (Picea abies)

We are pleased to offer a professional-size viola top plate originating from the workshop estate of Joseph Kun (Ottawa, Ontario 🇨🇦), one of Canada’s most respected 20th-century violin makers.

This piece represents authentic workshop material associated with the Joseph Kun estate 🇨🇦 and subsequent professional luthier sourcing.

Description

Instrument: Viola (Full Size)
Component: Two-piece top plate (soundboard)
Wood: European Spruce (Picea abies)
Construction: Bookmatched, center-joined
Length: Just over 16 inches (approx.)
Working Stage: Arching established; incomplete graduation and edge refinement required
Bass Bar: Not installed

The spruce displays straight, even grain typical of traditional European resonance wood used in professional instrument making. Primary arching has been established, providing an excellent foundation for a maker to complete graduation, bass bar fitting, purfling, and final edgework according to personal tonal preferences.

A temporary center reinforcement strip is present from the workshop process and can be removed during finishing.

Full-size viola plates at this stage — particularly with estate provenance — are increasingly difficult to source.

Provenance 🇨🇦

This component originates from the Estate of Joseph Kun.

It was purchased at the Joseph Kun estate auction by Toronto luthier Filip Tomov and subsequently acquired directly from his workshop through established professional sourcing.

Chain of custody:

Joseph Kun Estate → Filip Tomov (Toronto Luthier 🇨🇦) → Present Offering

No representation is made that this plate was personally carved by Joseph Kun.

No certificate will be provided with this item.

Availability

Workshop material from the Joseph Kun estate is finite once sold, comparable items from this source cannot be replenished.

This is a one-time acquisition opportunity.