Thomas Urquhart
Violin maker
(c. 1629 – c. 1698)
Very little is known about the life of Thomas Urquhart, though he was probably Scottish, and historical evidence suggests that he worked outside London and brought his instruments into the city for sale in various shops. Jacob Rayman is the only known maker in London who preceded him, as Urquhart's first verifiable instrument dates from the 1660s, and his work may even go as far back as the 1640s. However, his style is notably more refined than that of his supposed teacher, and he set the ribs of his instruments into a channel cut in the back, as opposed to the gluing method employed by Rayman. Urquhart's workmanship is fine, and often the incised detailing of the scroll is the only giveaway that his instruments are not of Italian origins, a quality capitalized on by unscrupulous dealers, who replaced their characteristic English heads with Italian ones and relabeled them.
Price History
- The auction record for this maker is $12,310 in Oct 2017, for a violin.
- 9 auction price results.
View all auction prices for Thomas Urquhart
