Mandolin alla Genovese

Vinaccia

Alternative Title

Mandolin alla Genovese.

Instrument

Milanese mandolin

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Vinaccia

Place Made

Southern Europe; Italy; Naples; Europe

Date Made

Early 18th Century

Description

One piece spruce soundboard, bent back at the bridge in typical Neapolitan mandolin fashion. Soundhole diameter 52.5mm. Bevelled edge around the soundhole. Purfling around the soundhole consists of thin strips of ebony/ivory/ebony/ivory, then a 12mm wide strip of black mastic with engraved mother- of-pearl, and then thin strips of ivory/ebony/ivory/ebony. Tortoiseshell scratchplate in a kidney shape, which edging purfling of very thin strips of ivory/boxwood/ivory/boxwood. Mother-of-pearl decoration of the bottom of the soundboard, and mother-of-pearl and mastic decoration at top of soundboard below the neck. Ivory edging around soundboard with boxwood/ivory/boxwood purfling inside. Bridge of boxwood, with deep slots for the strings. Six small turned ivory endpins at the bottom, and larger endpin for a strap below. Ebonised ribs, the wood probably yew, the two outer ribs wider than the inner ones. 20 ribs in total. Endclasp of the same wood as the ribs. Two full length ivory strips decorating the clasp, with a shorter ivory strip and ebonised wood at each end. The ribs are fluted and separated by thin ivory strips. The inside of the ribs are covered with a thin material, possibly silk. Soundboard edge support of ebony on either side of the soundboard at the top edge of the outer ribs. Neck veneered in ebonised wood and ivory, as is the back of the head. The core wood is possibly beech. V-joint between the head and the neck. Top of the head veneered in ebonised wood, with two engraved ivory strips. The sides of the head have alternate small and larger turned ivory buttons, with three of the larger buttons at the top of the head. 12 friction pegs in the head, arranged in three lines of four, including one down the centre of the instrument. Pegs of boxwood. Ivory nut. Fingerboard of tortoiseshell with engraved ivory bands, continuing the design on the top of the head. Edge of the fingerboard of ivory. Width of the neck 44mm at the nut, 52mm at the body join. Eight bar frets, 0.5mm wide. Repair History: Some pegs are replacements. Overall size: 540mm. Body length: 269mm. Body width, widest point: 168mm. Body depth: 103mm. String length: 291mm. Technical drawing available at The Friends of St Cecilia's. Please see http://www.stceciliasfriends.org.uk/

Notes

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

Measurements

540.

Collection

MIMEd; Macaulay Collection

Accession Number

0303