Derazey-Duiffopruggar (also spelled Duiffopruggar, Duiffoprugcar, or Tieffenbrucker) was a 16th-century instrument maker from Füssen, Bavaria, who later worked in Lyon, France. Although often credited with being among the earliest violin makers, there is no verified example of a violin made by his hand—he was more likely a lute and viol maker. However, In 1553, he was one fo the first to produce the violin in its modern form and his name became legendary. In the 19th century many French and German workshops produced ornate “Duiffopruggar model” violins to honor or capitalize on that reputation. These instruments typically feature elaborately carved human heads in place of scrolls, intricate purfling, and decorative inlays such as cityscapes or coats of arms on their backs. Thus, the notion that Duiffopruggar “made faces on violins” stems not from his own work, but from these later romanticized reproductions—beautiful, imaginative tributes that fused Renaissance artistry with 19th-century craftsmanship.

The present violin is an example of extraordinary craftsmanship, and it is almost as if the atelier under Derazey or Vuillaume were trying to outdo one another. The instrument also happens to have great sonority and the sheer amount of work it took to make this special violin cold has produced two ordinary violins in the same amount of time.