David Colville

COLVILLE, David Worked circa. 1845-1885 Cupar, Scotland UK. Well-made Amati and Stradivari models. An eccentric individual who spent time in Canada (where he apparently lost a number of his instruments in a lake), New Zealand, and Australia before being sent back to Scotland in fragile mental health. Name inscribed on back.

He made excellent instruments on the models of Amati and Stradivari. I saw and tried one of his Amati copies some years ago. The wood was beautifully figured, and the tone sweet and silvery. He was a born artist, and had he led a less chequered career he would have turned out still better work. He visited New Zealand, Canada, and Australia by turns, and never seemed to settle down in one place or at one thing long. No label, but written in pencil across back: —

DAVID COLVILLE, 1857

Von Hause aus Kunsttischler, verlegte er sich mit besonderer Vorliebe auf
den Geigenbau. Im Jahre 1858 wanderte er nach Neuseeland aus und hat recht
gute Geigen gemacht. Er war ein Sonderling, aber ein sehr talentvoller Mann.
Er klebte keine Zettel ein, sondern schrieb seinen Namen mit Bleistift in seine
Geigen.