Viola d'amore.

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Instrument

Viola d'amore

Instrument Family

Strings

Description

This instrument has a soundboard of spruce; back, ribs, neck and scroll of sycamore; fingerboard, tailpiece and tail-gut protector of ebony; pegs and endbutton of rosewood. The soundboard is jointed in centre, not bookmatched, and the grain on the bass side is wider than the treble. The instrument has flame sound-holes and ebony/sycamore/ebony purfling. The varnish has been worn away where the chin rests on the soundboard. There are locating holes on the soundboard at the top (plugged) and bottom (unplugged). The instrument has a golden colour varnish and two piece back, deep figure rising from the centre to the edges. There is a finial of a carved angel's head and wings and carved relief work on the pegbox. Crown-shaped pegs. Measurements: Neck length 150mm; fingerboard length 254mm, width at nut 36.0mm, at bottom 52.5mm. Soundboard arch: 22mm. No inscriptions. Illustration references: Vol. 1 p. 58. Previous ownership: Purchased by H.I. Brackenbury from Chanot, June 1926, for £12/0/0. Current ownership: Government allocation to the University, 1991. (C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection).

Notes

D.Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

780.

Provenance

Purchased by H.I. Brackenbury from Chanot, June 1926, for £12/0/0. ; Government allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

MIMEd ; C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection

Accession Number

1011

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