Viola D'amore
about 1740 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This instrument is thought to be French and is decorated with the carved, blind-folded female head, a popular motif on viols and viole d' amore. This type of instrument was widely played during the 17th and 18th centuries, and noted for its sweet tone. Seven gut strings were played by the bow, while seven 'sympathetic' strings placed underneath the fingerboard responded to the vibrations.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Planed and purfled (bordered) pine soundboard; planed ebony fingerboard; planed and joined sycamore back and sides; planed and carved sycamore neck. |
| Brief description | French, about 1740, with blindfolded female head on finial. |
| Physical description | 'Belly of a single piece of pine, with dark edges and light-coloured purfling [bordering], and 'flame' holes. Arched back of two pieces of sycamore with a seal impression of a bearded classical head in red was at the bottom end. The sides have been deepened by thickening strips above and below, contributing about 2.5 mm to the present depth. Peg-box with open back and with stamped decoration in the French manner, which includes a fleur-de-lys. A well-carved blind-folded female head. The ebony tailpiece, probably modern, is attached to an end pin with ivory backing plate. The ebony fingerboard is raised on a long packing wedge. Seven gut strings and seven wire sympathetic strings, the latter running from the higher pegs outside the back of the pegbox over two nuts and thence into the hollowed neck'. Anthony Baines, Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments (London, 1998), p. 11. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Nicolaus Amati Cremonen Hieronymus Antonius Nepot. Fecit, 1679 (Thia lable was probably taken from an old voilin and inserted into this instrument to make it seem older and more valuable, following a widespread custom amongst dealers in musical instruments.)
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| Object history | This instrument formed part of the collections of Carl Engel (1818 - 1882). It was valued ay £5 when acquired in by the South Kensington Museum in 1882. |
| Production | Anthony Baines (Non-keyboard Instruments) says 'probably French'. |
| Summary | This instrument is thought to be French and is decorated with the carved, blind-folded female head, a popular motif on viols and viole d' amore. This type of instrument was widely played during the 17th and 18th centuries, and noted for its sweet tone. Seven gut strings were played by the bow, while seven 'sympathetic' strings placed underneath the fingerboard responded to the vibrations. |
| Bibliographic reference | Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 11. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 157-1882 |
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| Record created | December 19, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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