Neapolitan Mandolin.

A Vinaccia

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Instrument

Neapolitan mandolin

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

A Vinaccia

Date Made

1759

Description

Technical description: Bookmatched soundboard of spruce. Soundhole 57.5mm diameter. Soundhole has a bevelled edge. Purfling around the soundhole consists of alternate strips of ebony and ivory, 15 strips in total, with ebony at the outer sides. Symmetrical shaped scratchplate of black stained rosewood (?) with thin ivory/ebony/ivory/ebony strips around the edge. The same wood is inlaid into the soundboard wood at the bottom and on the neck where the soundboard extends. Movable bridge of ebony with an ivory top. Ivory edging around the instrument with thin ebony/ivory/ebony strips inside it. Ivory protector at the bottom of the instrument between the soundboard and the string endpins. Four endpins for the strings, the remaining three of which are of ivory, two with darkened holes in the ends, one not original without hole. 23 ribs of walnut, fluted with ebonised spacers in between. The outer two ribs are much wider than the others. Wide decorative endclasp of walnut. Soundboard edge protectors at the top edge of the outer ribs of ebony. Interior of the ribs glued with strips of parchment. Neck veneered in alternate ebony and ivory strips, as is the back of the head. V-joint between the head and the neck. Core wood of the head possibly maple. Top of the head veneered in ebony with two pairs of ivory/ebony/ivory strips separated by a wider strip of ebony. Sides and top end of the head decorated with turned small and large ivory buttons. Eight friction pegs. Fingerboard of ebony with a continuation of the top-of-head inlay, and the same design occurring next to the ivory edging. The soundboard wood extends onto the neck, ending at fret 8. The body joins the neck at fret 10. 4 wooden frets glued to the soundboard. Metal bar frets on the neck, 0.7mm wide. Nut of ebony. Neck width 27mm at the nut, 37.5mm at the body join. Repair History: Movable bridge is not original. One of the four endpins is a replacement. The ivory protector is possibly an addition. Overall size: 557mm. Body length: 275mm. Body width, widest point: 161mm. Body depth: 125mm. String length: 326mm.

Notes

A. Macaulay, January 1992; D.P. Martin, 2003.

Measurements

557

Provenance

Lent by Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries '42-68e.

Collection

Glen Collection ; MIMEd

Accession Number

1724

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