Violas
Bohemian Small Viola, circa 1900
£5,000
Probably by a member of the Prokop family, this is a late 19th century Czech viola made on a Maggini model. It’s in great condition apart form a few dents and scuffs to the varnish. A very handy size, it has a dark and fruity sound, slightly melancholic, very musical. More details
Frantisek Karel Kriz Viola, Prague 1924
£8,000
FK Križ was one of the most talented Czech makers of the early 20th century, with a rare gift for sound. This del Gesu inspired viola is a great example of his work in near perfect condition. More details
Nicolas Augustin Chappuy Small Viola circa 1770
£12,000
This is a fine 18th century French viola of the “Vieux Paris” school. It has a very credible Guersan label but in fact it’s the work of Nicolas Chappuy showing many of his trademark touches. More details
Roze Viola, Orléans 1758
£12,000
Roze is such an obscure maker that he doesn’t even feature in the Cozio archive, yet he was clearly able to produce very sophisticated sounding instruments such as this lovely viola. More details
John Wilkinson Viola, London circa 1930
£15,000
John Wilkinson was a highly talented English maker of the early 20th century, best known for the copies of classical instruments he made for J&A Beare. This viola is a lovely example of his copy style. More details
Chardon & Chardon Small Viola, Paris circa 1915
£16,000
Joseph Chardon was the son in law of Geroges Chanot, also his apprentice and his successor. Born in 1843 he lived a long life, and was assisted in the family business by his son Georges Chardon. This viola was made around 1915-1920, and it still owes a lot stylistically to the wonderful instruments of Georges Chanot. More details
Frédéric Chaudière Viola, Montpellier 1990
£18,000 On trial
Frédéric Chaudière is one of the most respected of contemporary makers, and his name is known internationally. This is a lovely viola from his earlier period – it’s in good condition and the sound is terrific. More details
Albert Caressa Viola, Paris 1922
£22,500
Albert Caressa and Henri Français took over and renamed the firm of Gand & Bernardel in 1901. Français retired in 1920, and for the remainder of his working life Caressa made instruments for the company under his own name. This lovely viola dates from this last period of Caressa’s working life. More details
Giovanni Schwarz Small Viola, Venice 1913
£25,000 On trial
Giovanni Schwarz was the nephew and apprentice of Eugenio Degani. This instrument bears an authentic Degani label, but it’s signed by Schwarz. Is it a Degani or a Schwarz? Quite a tricky conundrum, but either way a very fine Venetian small viola with an outstanding sound. More details
Paul Bailly Viola, Paris circa 1895
£26,500
Paul Bailly is the only maker from the Vuillaume shop who continued to work well into the 20th century, and his style is more individual and fluid than that of his co-workers like Maucotel, Derazey or Silvestre. This slightly undersized viola is a great example of his work in near-mint condition. More details
Joseph Couturieux Viola, Paris circa 1850
£30,000
Joseph Couturieux or Couturieux “Fils” is a little known maker who worked briefly for JB Vuillaume. This beautiful viola is something of an enigma – it has a Vuillaume label, it looks in many ways like a Vuillaume, yet it has an original Couturieux signature. More details
Small Viola probably by Francesco Maurizi , Appignano circa 1840
£35,000
Francesco Maurizi is a relatively obscure maker from the Marche region of central Italy. His violins are much admired for their quality of sound, though the construction can be quite hurried. This viola is a great example, with an unusually deep and noble sound for its size. More details
Gustave Bernardel Viola, Paris 1894
£45,000
It would be hard to find a more perfect example of French craftsmanship than this fine viola by Gustave Berarndel. It’s a real collector’s piece too, relatively unused and with a great sound. More details
Claude-Augustin Miremont Viola, Paris 1870
£47,500
For some reason CA Miremont managed to produce instruments of superb tonal quality while those around him sometimes struggled. In particular his violas and cellos are consistently successful and greatly appreciated. More details
Paolo Castello Small Viola, Genoa circa 1770
Price on application
This is an outstanding 18th century Italian viola by Paolo Castello. Castello attracts quite a varied response from connoisseurs and antiquarians, mainly on account of his idiosyncratic scrolls, but I’m a big fan. Every instrument of his that I’ve played has sounded good, and most are outstanding. This viola is a fine example of his work, very similar to the one featured in Alberto Giordano’s seminal article in the Strad. More details
Jean Baptiste Vuillaume Viola, Paris 1845
Price on application
JB Vuillaume can truly be said to have revolutionised the world of stringed instruments. No-one has had quite as much impact on violin-making since Stradivari. He rode a wave of demand, largely of his own creating, and produced thousands of instruments and bows of extremely high quality. In the process he trained up an entire generation of fine makers. More details
This page lists all our Violas
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