Bass viol

Kessler’s overriding passion since his studies at Brienz was the viol, and in particular the English viol. Although he excelled in all things relating to the violin, viola and cello, this uniquely specialised area became the centre of his creative work. Throughout his long working life, he not only made more than 250 viols himself, including this model, but crucially made a number of important advances in the understanding of their original construction. His pioneering work in uncovering the method of shaping the arched fronts by bending and joining several pieces of wood, rather than carving them out from solid wood, changed the whole approach to modern viol-making.