James Perry, Kilkenny, 1800

Description

A fine Irish violin by James Perry, Kilkenny, 1800

James Perry (b.1759, d.1810) was the younger brother of Thomas Perry, who established a workshop in Christchurch Yard, Dublin along with John Wilkinson becoming arguably the most prolific manufacturers of violins in Irish history. The work of James is rarer, and he was established in Kilkenny a city whose Georgian architecture underlines the burgeoninig prosperity that arrived in the late eighteenth century. In Dublin, despite a large number of workshop assistants in the Perry & Wilkinson workshop, the firm never deviated from a highly identifiable pattern that sets it aside from British and Continental violin making, even though different craftsmen applied the pattern in very different ways, adding elements of their own craftsmanship to it. When we see Richard Tobin’s work after he left Perry & Wilkinson travelling to Cork, as well as James Perry’s Kilkenny work it is always of this recognisable Dublin pattern. One possibility, though difficult to prove, may be that these Irish fiddles were considered more suited to dancing tunes for they usually have extremely flat arching that contributes to a strong and direct sound The same customers who bought these probably owned English Italianate (or Italian) violins for playing chamber music and presumably would have been highly conscious of the different roles of different instruments. If we consider the extraordinary quality of Dublin instrument making, particularly the fortepianos of James Southwell made at the same time, combined with a documented obsession for London-made goods from the Dublin merchant classes, then these ideas give some credence to this suggestion. We can perhaps add to the strength of this, Thomas Perry’s inventions of cither-viols and sultanas, providing a very different musical sound to that experienced across Europe. This may certainly explain why makers across Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork were producing a model of instrument quite at odds with mainstream ideas from the rest of Europe – let us remember that when these were made, Pierre Alday was at the height of his fame in Dublin playing his Stradivari violin, and the 1690 Tuscan Stradivari is also known to have resided in Ireland. There was access and awareness of Italian models in Ireland if the necessity to copy them existed.

This is a perfect example of James’s work in outstanding original condition, both stamped on the back and labelled internally. It is consciously rougher than Dublin work, irreverantly what del Gesu is to Stradivari (don’t take that seriously!). Altogether a charming violin and an important specimen for Irish history. It recently with great delight became the specimen on the Wikipedia entry for this maker.