Edward Pamphilon

Type	Details	Sold	Price
Violin	35.3 cm 1675 c. [Attributed to]	June 2010	£2,400
Violin	35.0 cm 1665 c. [Attributed to]	November 2007	£3,600
Violin	36.6 cm 1670 c. [Attributed to]	April 2006	£840
Cello	England, late-17th C.	February 2005	£6,000
Violin	London, 1668	November 2004	£10,200
Violin	1670	November 2000	£5,040
Violin	1690	June 2000	£9,775
Violin	1680 c.	March 2000	£2,760
Violin	1680 c.	April 1991	£3,300
Viola	40.0 cm 1669	November 1982	£8,800

John Dilworth

PAMPHILON, Edward Born circa. 1646, d. after 1685, Worked Clavering, Essex UK. Significant early English maker. Recorded in parish archives as ‘fiddle maker’ from 1680-1685. Part of an extensive and active family of instrument makers in the area of Clavering, Widdington and Little Hadham, although only Edward’s work has been identified. Seldom labelled; those known are in manuscript. Also known from a metal token inscribed ‘Edward Pamphilon / living in Clavering’, presumably some sort of trade identification or licence. Work identified as Pamphilon is not uncommon and is very distinctive. Brescian modelling, crude rustic work, with the ribs set into grooves cut into the inner edge of front and back. The scroll is slender, but with a large volute extended up behind the widely-projecting eye. Characteristic markings on these are a small triangular incision in the tip of the chin and deep regular prickmarks around the base of the volute. Many instruments have had these readily identifiable heads replaced and labelled as Brescian or other Italian work. Fine varnish, usually pale golden brown in colour. Edward Pamphilon April the 3rd, 1685 [BVMA]

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

Man nimmt an, dass er aus Urquhart’s Schule hervorgegangen sei. Er
wohnte London Bridge und ist nur wenig bekannt; es giebt einige kleine, sehr
hochgewölbte Violinen von ihm, die die Vermuthung rechtfertigen, dass er
Arbeiten der Brescianer gekannt habe und nachahmen wollte. In den Umrisslinien
ist er ziemlich steif, die F-Löcher sind dagegen in den Endungen allzu geschweift. Die Schnecke ist tief ausgestochen und die Einlage gewöhnlich doppelt angebracht.

George Hart

The Violins of this maker were formerly much prized. The model is very high and the appearance somewhat grotesque. It is to be regretted that the splendid varnish often found on these instruments was not put upon better work.

William Meredith Morris

The instruments of this old maker are a sort of cross-breed between those of Brescia and Absam. He had evidently seen and handled instruments of both schools, and became consequently unsettled in his mind as to what course to pursue. The outline, scroll, and double purfling are Brescian, but the arching is distinctly Tyrolese. The workmanship considered per se is excellent, but it is devoid of taste, and in a few matters of detail, to wit, the terminals of the sound-holes, it seeds into eccentricity. His tenors, like his violins, are of a small pattern, but their tone is sweet and penetrating. He used amber yellow varnish of good quality, which in many cases looks well and almost fresh to-day. I doubt whether there are any Pamphilon instruments in existence bearing original labels.

Cecie Stainer

A maker in London, on London Bridge, about 1680-90. His instruments were of small pattern, very much arched, and generally of stiff, inelegant outline; the work carefully and delicately finished; the sound-holes small, sometimes finished with a drawn-out curl like the volute of a scroll, the bottom curve running out almost at right-angles to the axis of the violin; the heads too small, an ordinary failing of the early English makers, but artistically shaped and often deeply scooped in the volute.
The purfling is often double, and he used a very fine yellow varnish which looks extremely well; the tone is clear, pure, and penetrating. He also made tenors of small pattern but of good tone; no violoncellos of his are known, for at that time the bass-viol with the flat back was still in use. His instruments are much liked ; their similarity to those made in Brescia led to labels of “Gasparo da Salo” being placed in them, a deception all the more easily carried out as few Pamphilon labels exist.

Auction price history

£10,200

Biographies

John Dilworth

Willibald Leo Lütgendorff

George Hart

William Meredith Morris

Cecie Stainer

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