Guitar.
1
Photo by Dominic Ibbotson © The University of Edinburgh
InstrumentGuitar |
Instrument FamilyStrings |
Place MadeWestern Europe; France; Europe |
Date MadePre 1830 |
DescriptionTechnical description: 6 string parlour guitar. Soundboard of close-grained spruce, bookmatched in the centre. Soundhole 78mm diameter. Purfling around the soundhole consists of alternate strips of ebony and ivory, 21 in total. Edging of ivory, with strips of ebony and ivory (11 in total) inside. Oblong bridge of ebony with concave shape on the upper side, and S-shape on bottom side leading to points. Oblong section of bridge 83mm long and 28mm wide. Terminal dots at the ends of ebony with mother-of-pearl eyes. Ivory bridge saddle. Bridge pins of ebony with mother-of-pearl eyes. Sides and back of birdseye maple. Bottom of the sides has tapered ebony piece and ebony endpin, partly broken. Ivory edging between the back and sides with a strip of ebony on each surface inside it. There is a strip of ebony below the edging between the soundboard and sides, matching the lower edge. Back of one piece. Ebonised heel, neck and head. Ebony heel cap. The heel has a sharp joint between it and the neck, and there is a V joint between the neck and the head. Heel, neck and head probably of maple. Mother-of-pearl position dots on the top side of the neck at frets 5, 7, and 9. Brass machine heads with mother-of-pearl buttons and ivory rollers. Ivory nut. Ebony fingerboard which extends over, and is attached to, the soundboard. Neck 47mm wide at nut, 57mm wide at body join. 17 frets in total. Handwritten label inside reads "No 2 / Cath. Josepha Pratten / 99 / Pet Concert Guitar / Maple". Sealing wax with "SP" monogram on the back of the head at the top. Accessories: with dark green painted wood case with brass handle, fitted inside with red silk ad frill around edges. "Josepha" in ribbon on the inside of the lid, decorated with pleated red ribbon on lid; with a separate silk pouch to match for holding the strings. Brass lavel on left of case: "Mme Sydney Pratten (No. 3) / 22a Dorset Street / Portman Square / London". Brass label on right of case: "Madame Syndney Pratten". Red sealing wax on back of head with impression of seal "JSP". Overall size: 919 Body length: 437 Body width, upper bouts: 249 Body width, wasit: 180 Body width, lower bouts: 316 Body depth: 85 (at bottom) - 82 (at heel) String length: 628 |
Other InformationGeneral usage of type: Number two of a pair of similar instruments made to the order of Ferdinand Pelzer for his daughter Josepha, later Mme Sydney Pratten, who at the age of 9 played them at her first London recital in 1830. |
NotesA. Macaulay, January 1992; D.P. Martin, 2003. |
Measurements919. |
ProvenanceGift of Wilfrid Appleby, 1985. |
CollectionMIMEd |
Accession Number2524 |