According to NASA and scientists at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, the most recent volcanic eruption ever discovered on Mars occurred roughly at the same time that the wood used in this viola was growing... 53,000 years ago!
The Ancient Kauri wood, carbon dated to at least 50,000 years, is used for the viola’s linings, ribs, backplate, scroll, and blocks.
Discovered in New Zealand within the last 100 years, Ancient Kauri trees grew for thousands of years prior to falling in an event during the Last Glacial Period and became encased beneath the earth in an anaerobic environment, perfectly preserving the wood throughout the eons.