Historic violin that once belonged to family of Irish poet W. B. Yeats up for auction

An early 19th-century French Mirecourt violin, from the private collection of the family of Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet W. B. Yeats, will be offered for sale at Dominic Winter Auctioneers on July 16.

A rare early 19th-century French violin with direct provenance to the Yeats family, one of the most distinguished Irish artistic and creative families in modern history, is being brought to public attention after spending almost a decade in a private collection.

The instrument, a fine full-size Mirecourt violin bearing the stamp "A la Ville de Cremonne / Nicolas Aîné", is believed by the famed musical instruments experts ‘Chapel Violins’ to date from approximately 1810–1820, during the working lifetime of renowned French violin maker Didier Nicolas l'aîné (1757–1833), one of the most respected figures of the celebrated Mirecourt school.

Its historical significance is enhanced by its esteemed ownership history. The violin was acquired by ‘Chapel Violins’ from the Yeats Family Collection auction conducted by Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers in Kilkenny, Ireland, on 14 November 2017. The Yeats family are renowned the world over for their important contributions to poetry, painting and printing.

The collection derived from Cliff House, Dalkey, County Dublin, the home of Michael Yeats (1921–2007), a former senator of Ireland and the son of Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet W. B. Yeats (1865-1939) dramatist, writer and literary critic and his wife, the acclaimed harpist Gráinne Yeats (1925–2013). Earlier portions of the family's collection were dispersed by Sotheby's in London during 2017.

Designed on a Stradivari model, the violin features a highly flamed one-piece maple back with matching ribs and scroll, an evenly grained one-piece spruce table, finely fluted f-holes, elegant extended bee stings and a deeply carved scroll. Additional period characteristics, including locating pins to both table and back, a one-piece lower rib in the Cremonese tradition, and refined edgework beneath a rich honey-golden varnish, reflect the craftsmanship associated with the finest early 19th-century French workshops. 

While the instrument bears the Nicolas Aîné stamp and handwritten internal inscriptions, ‘Chapel Violins’ believes its construction and stylistic features indicate manufacture during the active working period of Didier Nicolas l'aîné, rather than the later commercial continuation of the Nicolas workshop tradition.

W.B. Yeats. (Getty Images)

The violin has undergone careful historical restoration over its lifetime, including a neck graft, ebony crown, and extensive half-edging to the table. It remains fully playable and professionally set up, while offering collectors and musicians an exceptional example of an early Mirecourt instrument with distinguished provenance.

Since its acquisition, the violin has remained on display within the ‘Chapel Violins’ workshop as part of its private collection, where it has served as an example of exceptional early French violin-making and also as an instrument connected with one of Ireland's most celebrated literary families.

Chris Albury, Director at Dominic Winter Auctioneers, said: "This violin is an impressive example of early Mirecourt craftsmanship and its provenance from the Yeats family collection only adds to its distinction as a fine and interesting musical instrument, as well as an object of cultural historical significance."

He adds: “We were privileged to sell Einstein's violin 'Lina' for a million pounds last October. Einstein was famously a gifted violin player and had a number of violins in his life, while somewhat surprisingly the poet William Butler Yeats was supposedly musically tone deaf and never believed to have played the violin himself. Nevertheless, it is intriguing to speculate whether this fine violin was ever known to Yeats himself, even though we can only take the provenance back to his son and daughter-in-law.”

For collectors of historical stringed instruments and Irish cultural artefacts, the violin represents an uncommon convergence of craftsmanship, provenance and cultural heritage.

It will be offered in a sale of Historic Textiles, Antiques & Violins at Dominic Winter auctioneers on July 16, 2026 and carries an estimate of £6,000-£8,000 (lot 479).