Viola, converted from viol.

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Instrument

Viola

Instrument Family

Strings

Date Made

Probably 17th century

Description

This instrument has a soundboard of spruce; back, ribs, scroll and neck of sycamore; pegs, fingerboard, tailpiece and endbutton of ebony. The instrument originally had a tailpiece arm, but this was later altered to a violin-style button; Aa strip of walnut(?) has been used to fill the place where the tailpiece arm went. The instrument also has an ebony tail-gut protector. The instrument has a golden brown varnish. The soundboard has flame type sound-holes and ebony/sycamore/ebony purfling. There is damage to the soundboard caused by different positions of the bridge, as well as plugged holes at the top and bottom. There is a wide support strip to protect the back from the soundpost, with other bars at the fold and the lower bout. There is also a wooden liner between the back and the ribs, as well as pine corner blocks. The back is made from two pieces of wood, separated by an ebony stripe, with figure rising from the edges to the centre. Measurements: Violin type scroll. Neck 190mm long; fingerboard 356mm long, 28.0mm wide at nut, 48.0mm wide at bottom. Crack along most of the length of the ebony stripe at the back. Repair History: The back has been flattened above the fold and the sides built up with added ribs. The neck block is unoriginal. The heel of the neck has an added piece at the bottom 12-13mm thick, and ebony capping surrounding the original heel extension at the back. There is a fifth hole in the pegbox that has been plugged, and the neck has been grafted on the pegbox. There are several repaired cracks on the soundboard. Previous ownership: Purchased by H.I. Brackenbury from Hall, Liverpool, with 'old bow' for £10/0/0. Current ownership: Government allocation to the University, 1991. (C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection).

Notes

D. Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

741

Provenance

Purchased by H.I. Brackenbury from Hall, Liverpool, with `old bow' for £10/0/0. ; Government allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection ; MIMEd

Accession Number

1057

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