Hurdy gurdy

Ouvrard
https://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/iiif/UoEart~2~2~82776~421633/full/150,/0/default.jpghttps://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/iiif/UoEart~2~2~82777~421632/full/150,/0/default.jpghttps://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/iiif/UoEart~2~2~82778~421631/full/150,/0/default.jpg

Instrument

Hurdy gurdy

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Ouvrard

Place Made

France; Europe; Western Europe

Date Made

Late 18th Century

Description

This instrument has a guitar-shaped body. Arched hardwood soundboard, edged with alternate pieces of ebony and ivory. Moon-shaped sound-holes at the bottom. Sides of black stained hardwood with ivory stringing. Back of yew, in 5 pieces with ivory stringing. Tailpiece of pine veneered in ebony and ivory. Rib endcapping strip of ebony and ivory. Wheel of hardwood (pear?), 65mm radius, handle of iron with an ivory knob. The keybox of mahogany, 53mm wide, 56-54mm high, not including the lid. The lid is of poplar, the top veneered in ebony and ivory, edged in ebony. The pegbox of sycamore, pegs of ebony with ivory dots, finial of a woman's head, crowned with leaves. 23 keys, naturals of ebony, accidentals of ivory, accidentals in groups of 2, 2, 3, 3 from lowest to highest pitch. The tailpiece and keybox veneers do not match each other, the tailpiece itself is probably not original. There is a hole through the tailpiece for a (now missing) trompette peg. Most likely this instrument's body is an alteration of a guitar made by a member of Voboam family, a renown Parisian family of instrument makers, and possibly by (Nicholas) Alexandre Voboam (after 1633–about 1693). As guitar styles changed, the small, delicate Baroque guitar was no longer in use and the body was repurposed as a hurdy gurdy. Stamped "OUVRARD" on the left hand side of the pegbox. Decorative features: Star-shaped pattern stamped on the top and sides of the pegbox. Repair history: Trompette peg and drone nuts were made by Michelle Kircher and Dr Jonathan Santa Maria Bouquet. Instrument conserved for display purposes in 2016. Current ownership: Government allocation to the University, 1991. (C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection).

Notes

D. Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

608.

Provenance

Government allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection; MIMEd

Accession Number

1052

Related Items