UK: associated pipes

double pipes

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Double pipes, or two pipes played at the same time, are found in sculptures, paintings, stained glass, religious manuscripts and archaeology dating back into pre-history, right up to the present day. Sometimes the two pipes are exactly the same; other images show two slightly different shapes, one playing the tune and the other a drone pipe.

It is impossible to see the mouth-piece on some of these images: some may be duct flutes, others may have single or double reeds or be trumpets. If you have information on the mouth-piece of any of these instruments I would be grateful to know.

I have not included images where it is definately not a variety of duct-flute without keys. Around 1810 an English instrument maker, William Bainbridge, patented a keyed double flageolet which consisted of two English flageolets joined together so that the player could harmonise the tunes that s/he played. Flageolets are therefore not included here.

10th century Clonmacnoise, Ireland forerunner of the bagpipe? 10th century England 10th century Irish text describing a legend: A man called Mac Díchoíme made a double pipe (cuislenn dégabail) from three saplings. [Ed. This may have been a reed pipe] ‘Flutes, pipes, or bagpipes? Observations on the terminology of woodwind instruments in Old and Middle Irish’ by Bisagni, Jacopo, 2015, page 24 12th c Barfrestone, Kent 1170 England late medieval double pipes in Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford c.1200 north England folio 32r 13th century, Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire 1225-50 siren, manuscript, St Albans 1300 copy siren, manuscript c.1230 siren, manuscript London double pipe with bells, Oxfordshire 1275-1300 York 13v pew end 1259 East Anglia, manuscript 1259 the band 1275-1280 1250-1330 East Anglia Winchester Cathedral drawing The art journal London, Volume 1 pg 201 1863
		1301-1350 devil, Salisbury
1310-20 Westminster, London 193v		1310-20 Westminster, London 126r
1320 Luttrell Psalter 1320 Luttrell Psalter 1326 Holkham Bible 43r 1326 London Holkham Bible 31r 1326 London Holkham Bible 18v 1326 Holkham Bible 56r 1340 London 1340 London, manuscript, Smithfield Decretals 1340 stone carving Hanwell, Oxfordshire around 1320-1330, Bible, London
early 14th century Heckington, Lincolnshire 1309-1349 Beverley Minster stone carving 1 1309-1349 Beverley Minster stone carving 2 1309-1349 Beverley Minster stone carving 3
1325-50 Canterbury manuscript Psalter 1325-50 Canterbury manuscript Psalter 2 14th century Winchester Cathedral misericord 14th century Winchester Cathedral misericord
14th century keystone, Winchester Cathedral 1375-1404 Westminster Abbey wall painting 1380 Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle West Sussex possibly 14thc Pinchbeck St Mary’s Church, Lincolnshire; stained glass c.1340 corbel depicting a man playing pipes with pellet bells, St Mary’s, Cogges, Oxfordshire ‘Musical Wit and Courtly Connections at Cogges’ by Laura Slater 1495,manuscript London All Saints Church, Chevening, Suffolk, pew end 15th c. Elkestone Church Gloucestershire 1451 Stamford, Lincolnshire 15th century Oxford (poss) c.1470 Scotland, chair misericord, double pipes or horns
15th century Oxford extant double pipes 1585 print, London Late 15th century Southwold, Suffolk carved wood church benchend [Ed. the official note says he is pulling his teeth out]
late 15th century King's screen, damaged, York Minster   1620 painting 1668 Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary of: Monday 20 January 1668 early 18th c Fairleigh Hungerford Church, wood carving (poss. trumpets) between 15th and 20th century, St Peter Mancroft Norwich 1785 printed in Italy, based on an original by Richard Cosway 1765 - classical pose, print
19th century Dean Castle, East Ayrshire, Scotland 1783 satirical print, BM 1786 satire Edinburgh, Scotland Chelsea porcelain figure 19th century carved oak furniture 1861 card case, Birmingham source source source source source   1860's to 1880 tiles made by Copeland & Co., Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
In the 19th/20th century designers and artists looked back to classical Greek times for their inspiration: 1862 Selsey Church, Gloucs, stained glass 1864 porcelain vase, British Museum   1867 Old Hunstanton, Norfolk 1870 stained glass 1871 Studley Royal Yorkshire second half of the 19th century: sketch for stained glass 1870's lead figure 1874 Bournemouth, Dorset 1880-1915 wallpaper All Saints, Cambs, stained glass lead garden figure drawing by Frederic Lord Leighton  1884 painting 19th c drawing c British Museum 1890 Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire
1894 London, design book illustration		1914 postcard
1920's glass tray
20th century David Munrow	21st century Avery at Taborers Society symposium	21st century classical flowerpot on pedestal Surrey
	unknown

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