Amati, Andrea
B. ca 1505, d. 1577, Cremona
Presumed pupil of Giovanni Leonardo di Martinengo in Cremona. Maker of the oldest surviving instruments of the violin family, several of which bear the arms of Charles IX of France (1560-1574). Founder of the overwhelmingly important Cremonese violin making tradition. Craftsmanship of the highest order. Around twenty small and large sized violins, violas and cellos extant. The earliest reliable date is that of the King Charles cello, which has the year 1566 incorporated into the decorative painted detail on the body.