Portuguese Guitar
1850 - 1880 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Portuguese guitar is thought to have derived from the English guitar: it has six courses of double metal strings and was tuned the same way until comparatively recently. Owing to close commercial and cultural links that resulted from the Methuen Treaty of 1703, Portugal was more open to influences from Britain than her neighbour, Spain, with regard to guitars. This example has a simple tuning mechanism, and it was made in Lisbon, a leading centre for making Portuguese guitars.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Planed and joined pine back, sides and soundboard; turned wooden tuning pegs; rosewood fingerboard with brass frets. |
| Brief description | Portuguese guitar, pine body with rosewood fingerboard, H.R.Ferro, Lisbon, Portuguese, 1850-1880. |
| Physical description | "Pear-shaped, with back and belly back both of pine, the belly with an inlaid purfling and open soundhole. Slightly rounded rosewood fingerboard projecting over the belly, with fourteen brass frets. Shaped flat head in guitar style, with twelve rear pegs for six double courses of wire." Anthony Baines:Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments (London, 1998), p. 53. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Henrique Rofino Ferro. A fez em Lisboa/ Ao Poço do Berratem no. 73a. (Written on a label inside the instrument.)
|
| Credit line | Given by the Rev. Arthur Myers |
| Object history | This instrument was given to the Museum in 1890 by the Rev. Arthur Myers,B.A. |
| Summary | The Portuguese guitar is thought to have derived from the English guitar: it has six courses of double metal strings and was tuned the same way until comparatively recently. Owing to close commercial and cultural links that resulted from the Methuen Treaty of 1703, Portugal was more open to influences from Britain than her neighbour, Spain, with regard to guitars. This example has a simple tuning mechanism, and it was made in Lisbon, a leading centre for making Portuguese guitars. |
| Bibliographic reference | Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 53 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 222-1890 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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