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  • THE EVANGELISTS – A QUARTET OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

    The Evangelists, a unique quartet of musical instruments, will be offered at auction by Ingles and Hayday in London in March.  Attached is a video of the Ruisi Quartet playing these exceptional instruments.  Between 1863 and 1872 the famous French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume made a number of instruments dedicated to saints. It is believed that he produced around a dozen instruments, of which nine survive. They are known as ‘The Apostles’. The first four, and the most celebrated, date from 1863, when Vuillaume made the quartet known as ‘The Evangelists’. Made from matching wood it is the only one of Vuillaume’s celebrated quartets still together as a set today.   Each has a carved tailpiece, depicting one of the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The set has been in private European collections since about 1970, immaculately preserved and played only occasionally.  The estimate is £600,000-800,000 and the auction is on March 15.

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