Notable Sales: Andrea Amati
Andrea Amati is considered to be the inventor of the violin as we know it today. He was the first violin maker in Cremona, and he and his descendants established the city’s reputation as the home of violin making.
More importantly, his conception of the violin provided the inspiration for all subsequent instruments, including those of Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù. Given our familiarity with later instruments, it is difficult to fully appreciate the modernity of Andrea’s work, but the design that he established has remained largely unaltered for 450 years.
Few of Andrea Amati’s instruments survive today. Of those that do, many were commissioned by wealthy patrons and royalty, such as the celebrated group of instruments made for Charles IX of France. These instruments date from 1564 to 1574, and we must assume that Amati had been working for some time prior to that date to have won a commission from the French court. His earliest known instrument is thought to date from 1546, but sadly all trace of it has been lost. The instruments made for Charles IX were decorated with the royal coat of arms, and the cutdown viola illustrated here was also decorated to reflect its ownership, in this case by a noble Italian family of the rank of Marquis.
(b c1505; d Cremona, 1577)
Andrea Amati is considered to be the inventor of the violin as we know it today. He was the first violin maker in Cremona, and he and his descendants established the city’s reputation as the home of violin making.
More importantly, his conception of the violin provided the inspiration for all subsequent instruments, including those of Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù. Given our familiarity with later instruments, it is difficult to fully appreciate the modernity of Andrea’s work, but the design that he established has remained largely unaltered for 450 years.
Few of Andrea Amati’s instruments survive today. Of those... Read more
12 May 2023 - Dilworth, John
The discovery of a violin by Andrea Amati amongst the collection of the late Norman Rosenberg, to be auctioned by Ingles & Hayday, is one of many remarkable finds amid a treasure trove of fascinating and illuminating instruments and bows,... Read more
13 January 2023 - Dilworth, John
The collection of instruments gathered together by Norman Rosenberg over a 70-year career as a dealer and connoisseur tells us a great deal about the nature of collecting itself, and what a collection actually means. In this case, the instruments... Read more
26 April 2021 - Dilworth, John
The Evolution of Violin Making from 16th-20th Century Part VI
26 April 2021 - Dilworth, John
The Evolution of Violin Making from 16th-20th Century Part V
19 April 2021 - Dilworth, John
The Evolution of Violin Making from 16th-20th Century Part IV
19 April 2021 - Dilworth, John
The Evolution of Violin Making from 16th-20th Century Part III
12 April 2021 - Dilworth, John
The Evolution of Violin Making from 16th-20th Century Part II
12 April 2021 - Dilworth, John
The Evolution of Violin Making from 16th-20th Century Part I
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More InformationTim Ingles and Paul Hayday will offer an initial evaluation of the authenticity and value of your instrument or bow to recommend an auction estimate and reserve price.
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Tim Ingles and Paul Hayday will offer an initial evaluation of the authenticity and value of your instrument or bow. At this stage, the assessment is free and without obligation. In the first instance, we suggest submitting good-quality images to us, preferably by email to info@ingleshayday.com or by completing the valuation form.
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