Cither viol

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Alternative Title

Cither viol.

Instrument

Sultana

Instrument Family

Strings

Date Made

18th Century

Description

This instrument is a bowed English guitar, metal-strung. Soundboard of spruce; back, ribs, scroll and neck of sycamore; fingerboard (not original?), tailpiece for 4 strings (not original), tail-gut protector, and endbutton of ebony; tuning mechanism of brass. Flame sound-holes. Golden varnish. Mitred ribs with very light figure. The body construction is in the style of a violin. Bass bar and soundpost inside. The lower bouts are covered by a single rib. Painted purfling on the soundboard and back. One piece back, figure rising from left to right. Scroll in the style of an English guitar, with key for tuning mechanism. Thistle carved on the back of the head; finely painted thistle flowers at the top of the back. Measurements: Neck length 127mm; fingerboard length 272mm, 31.6mm wide at nut, 51.7mm wide at bottom. Soundboard arch 12.5mm; back arch 15mm. No inscriptions. With case; overall length 736, overall width 277, overallheight 152; oblong box of mahogany; brass handle let into lid; lock at front; brass hinges at the back; inside lined with green baize cloth; the centre shaped to receive the instrument; compartments at either side of head and neck; the shallow lid lined with green baize; the poplar baseboard also lined with green baize. The interior in good condition; the covering of the bottom loose in places; the handle broken and missing. Performance characteristics: Original tuning probably C4, E4, G4, G4, C5, C5, E5, E5, G5, G5. Previous ownership: Purchased by H.I. Brackenbury at Puttick & Simpson, May 1926, for £4/0/0. Current ownership: Government allocation to the University, 1991. (C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection).

Notes

D. Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

672

Provenance

Purchased by H.I. Brackenbury at Puttick & Simpson, May 1926, for £4/0/0. ; Government allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection ; MIMEd

Accession Number

0951