Violins and Bees

I have talked about propolis, a natural plant resin that the bees collect and use in their hives, mainly to coat the interior of their house. This habit serves them well! It helps to prevent wind drafts in the hive by applying the propolis on the wooden ware. Also, known only recently, scientists have discovered that the honeybee will eat the propolis when she feels sick.

Combining beeswax and propolis together makes the new substance more plastic and very strong. During the antiquity, people from the Mediterranean would use a concoction made of honeybee wax melted with some plants resin that they would then apply to hot to the hulls and decks of their  ships as protection again the salty water and natural elements. Early on, it was "discovered" that hot beeswax would penetrate the wood and the resin would harden the wax into a strong varnish-like coat. This layer was virtually waterproof.

Later, mineral pigments were added to the hot wax/resin mixture. This new colored substance was then used to paint Greek warships. This technique evolved to the known encaustic painting which was used on wood, canvas and even marble statues.

Furniture-makers in Europe used also a combination of beeswax and resin to protect their work. Today, this extraordinary mix not only dries to a resinous coat, but remain plastic and blends with the original varnish that was applied many years ago.

Stradivarius mixing oil, beeswax and propolis

Varnishes were also use to coat string instruments like violas, cellos and violins. However this guarded secret substance, needed to be in a liquid form in order to be brushed on instruments. Different formula were concocted, and never to be revealed. Those varnishes were made of plant resins combined with oils like linseed, honeybee propolis, gums and other oils. The usage of beeswax was commonly added to the mix to decrease the brittleness of the resin. This type of "flexible" finish was need not only to protect the string instrument but also to preserve its resonance. This type of varnish had a higher proportion of resins, and a hard, shiny surface.

The great violin Master, Stradivarius knew these secret unique blends of oils, resins, beeswax and propolis. He used them in a way that only him knew the correct proportion of each natural product creating the secret varnish formula for his high prized string instruments. Obviously, we know now that the amount of heat applied to the mixture causes specific chemical reactions affecting the properties of each "ingredient" in the finish product. Thus was this the secret?

Bibliography:
Stradivarius in the Jungle, Human Ecology, April 2008 A.M. Stearman