New arrivals · Restoration journal
Thomas Urquhart – a viola from 17th-century London
Made in the mid-17th century, with a body length of 41.3 cm: this combination of age and size makes the viola particularly interesting. We introduce it here before its comprehensive restoration begins.
Top · Click a photograph for the full view
About the maker
Thomas Urquhart
Thomas Urquhart was an early violin maker in seventeenth-century London. Expert Benjamin Hebbert describes surviving instruments with original labels dated 1663 and 1665, which point to activity in Westminster. His violins, now rare, combine individual outlines and distinctive soundholes with a thoughtful interpretation of instruments by the Amati family of Cremona. Ingles & Hayday also identify technical parallels with early Flemish and Dutch traditions, notably the fitting of the ribs into a channel in the back. Urquhart’s work thus offers a glimpse of the varied European influences that shaped early English violin making.
01
The restoration plan
A comprehensive restoration is planned, including repairs to the cracks in the top and a new setup. The work is intended to preserve the historical character of the instrument. Further insights will follow as the restoration progresses.
02
A first impression of the sound
Even in its current condition, the recording suggests a refined, richly coloured tone and a lively overtone spectrum. It offers an initial impression of the sound before restoration; how the instrument develops after the work remains to be seen.
Patera Violins
Sound & instrument on film
Enquire about this arrival
Would you like to follow this instrument’s progress or learn more? Please write to me.