Arch-Cittern thumbnail 1
Arch-Cittern thumbnail 2
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Arch-Cittern

1775 - 1785 (Made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Citterns were usually wire-strung instruments, like this example, and those with extra unstopped strings in the bass were known as 'arch-citterns'. This elegant instrument was most likely made in Paris in about 1780, and was probably intended for drawing rooms and salons, whereas the German and Swiss versions of the arch-cittern were more often used for playing folk music.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Planed and joined sycamore back and sides, with ebony stringing; planed, joined pine soundboard, purfled (bordered) with ebony and mother-of-pearl; turned ebony tuning pegs with ivory studs, plained ebony fingerboard with brass frets.
Brief description
Arch-cittern, sycamore back and side, ebony and mother-of-pearl decoration, French, 1775-1795.
Physical description
"Back of two pieces of sycamore. Belly with a paper rose. The purfling resembles that on 11/12 [arch-cittern by Sébastien Renaut, Museum no.: 207-1882: i.e. "barber's pole purfling of ebony and mother of pearl"] and the sides of the body are singularly concave. Ebony fingerboard with seventeen frets. Pegboxes, number of strings, and oblique upper nut similar to 11/12 [i.e. "The main pegbox has eleven [tuning pegs], for four double courses and three single. The upper pegbox has five for five single basses, and has an oblique nut."] - Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments (London, 1998), pp. 53-54.
Dimensions
  • Total length length: 115cm
  • Length of belly length: 43cm
  • Maximum string length length: 88cm
  • Width: 33cm
  • Depth: 11cm
  • Minimum string length length: 49cm
Measurements taken from Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 53-54.
Object history
This instrument was part of the collections of Carl Engel (1818-1882) and was bought by this Museum for £3.
Production
'Clearly the work of one of the Parisian luthiers of the period, possibly Renault' - Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 54.
Summary
Citterns were usually wire-strung instruments, like this example, and those with extra unstopped strings in the bass were known as 'arch-citterns'. This elegant instrument was most likely made in Paris in about 1780, and was probably intended for drawing rooms and salons, whereas the German and Swiss versions of the arch-cittern were more often used for playing folk music.
Bibliographic reference
Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 53-54.
Collection
Accession number
211-1882

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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