Lute, with ebony and ivory bordering, French or German, 1820 - 1860.

Lute with a body made up of ten (maple) ribs, bordered with small alternating pieces or tesserae of ebony and ivory. The soundboard is of pine and has the same ebony and ivory bordering as on the rose. It is fitted with a bridge on the soundboard and eleven brass hitch-pins and an ivory strap-button at the bottom of the instument. The neck has an ebony fingerboard fitted with brass frets and two pegheads curving backwards, one for six courses (one single- and five double-stringed) and one for five single bass strings or diapasons.

This instrument formed part of the collections of Carl Engel and was bought by the museum for £4 - 10 - 0.

The registered description of 1882 describes this instrument as "French, 17th century" with a "double neck (altered in the 18th century)". This instrument could be either French or German but was most likely made in the 19th century.

This unsigned and undated lute belonged to Carl Engel (1818-1882), an eminent musicologist who published the first catalogue of the Museum's instruments. Although it was acquired by the Museum in 1882 as a French 17th century lute, this example was probably made in the 19th century. It may at one time have been used either as an artist's prop or as a semi-folk version of the lute, which was being played in Germany well into the 19th century.

209-1882