Arch Cittern
1780 - 1800 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Citterns were wire-strung instruments, usually plucked with fingers or strummed with a plectrum. By about 1600 makers in Italy had added extra strings in the bass, and this practice soon spread throughout Europe, including Britain. However, by the early 1700s, arch citterns, like this somewhat crudely decorated example, were mostly confined to Switzerland and Germany, where they were used as folk instruments.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | planed pine belly, planed sycamore sides and back, brass frets |
| Brief description | Arch-cittern, maple back and sides, pine soundboard., German, 1750-1810. |
| Physical description | 'Maple back and pine belly, both flat and both overhanging the sides. The latter taper slightly towards the base of the instrument. The original inserted rose is missing. Iron hooks fastened to the base of the body receive the strings. The offset neck carries a thick, dark-stained wooden fingerboard which flies a short distance over the belly and has twelve brass frets (nos. 10, 11, 12 fractional). The theorbo-style upper pegbox has a simple rounded finial. The main pegbox is for four double courses of wire, the fourth string course being overspun. The upper head has ten pegs, for ten basses.' - Anthony Baines:Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments (London, 1998), p. 47. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given to the Museum by F.Garrat, Esq. |
| Object history | This instrument was given to the museum by F.Garrat, Esq., in 1921. |
| Summary | Citterns were wire-strung instruments, usually plucked with fingers or strummed with a plectrum. By about 1600 makers in Italy had added extra strings in the bass, and this practice soon spread throughout Europe, including Britain. However, by the early 1700s, arch citterns, like this somewhat crudely decorated example, were mostly confined to Switzerland and Germany, where they were used as folk instruments. |
| Bibliographic reference | Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 47. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.160-1921 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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