A King, a Tsar, a Marquis and a Messiah have one thing in common; they all had violin cases custom made for them.

From the mundane to the magnificent, violin cases span the centuries and reflect the cultural values and aspirations of the times and societies that produced and used them.

In this pioneering book devoted to violin cases, Dr Wood reveals the diversity of craft skills that have gone into their production and how these have evolved over the last four centuries.