Mandola.

Goldt

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Instrument

Mandora

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Goldt

Place Made

Germany ; Europe ; Hamburg ; Central Europe

Date Made

1758

Description

Technical description: A composite instrument, seemingly made from genuine body and soundboard, and a separate neck, with a fake fingerboard. The soundboard is of spruce, in two pieces, although not necessarily bookmatched. Soundhole 102mm diameter. Vellum rose inside, possibly just the top layer of a multi layer rose, as the centre is six sided and open. The soundboard is edged in ivory, with an ebony and ivory pattern of wide triangles and then thin strips of fruitwood/ivory/fruitwood inside it. There are marks on the soundboard which indicate a previous bridge position. The present bridge is modern. The bridge position can not possibly work with the position of the frets, and there is no markings on the soundboard where a reasonable fret position is. Nine alternate ribs of rosewood and figured maple, with thin ebony and maple strips as spacers. Figured maple endclasp, decorated with 4 pairs of rosewood and maple thin strips along its length. 6 ivory buttons to hold the end of the strings, which then pass over a modern slip of wood which attempts to protect the soundboard. The ivory edging of the soundboard protects the edge of the outer ribs, protruding down approximately 5mm. Ivory button at the top end of the centre ribs, from the same source as the string buttons, but no evidence of an end button for a strap. Maple neck and head in one piece. Applied decoration between the neck and the body, and incised decoration on the head on either side, on the back, and on the front at the sides of the pegbox. 12 pegs of rosewood with ivory dots on the end. The head ends with a square finial with a six-pointed star and gold jewel-like centre. Modern nut. Fingerboard of rosewood, scalloped between the frets, and edged in ivory. The fingerboard is above, and glued to, the top of the soundboard. The spacing of the frets suggests the instrument could never have played in an acceptable temperament in this arrangement. Modern nut. Neck width 59mm wide at nut, 69.4mm wide at body join. The body joins the neck at about three-quarters of the way along fret 6, nearly at fret 7. Decorative features: Fingerboard decorated with engraved mother-of-pearl inlays at frets 1, 3, 5, 8 and 11, as well as above fret 12 at the end of the fingerboard. These inlays are decorated with Hebrew letters, and what appears to be Christian symbolism. Alternate rectangles of ebony and ivory on the fingerboard at the edges in two lines. This work has been carried out after the fret positions were decided. Repair History: Fingerboard probably a replacement from c 1900.

Notes

A. Macaulay, December 1991; D.P. Martin, 2003.

Measurements

982

Provenance

ex- Van Raalte Collection. ; Government allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection ; MIMEd

Accession Number

1010

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