Bass viol
- Place of origin:
Hamburg (city), Germany (made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
Ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ebony ribs with ivory stringing
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
- Download image
This bass viol is the only instrument known to have been made by Martin Voigt of Hamburg. Voigt may have been a pupil of Joachim Thielke, who was Hamburg's greatest luthier around 1700. This instrument is as beautifully decorated as any made by Thielke. The neck is decorated with four Greek gods and goddesses -- Apollo, Venus, Mercury and Diana -- inlaid in mother of pearl. In Greek myth Mercury was supposed to have invented the lyre, and Apollo excelled at playing it. The lyre was traditionally regarded as the ancestor of viols, guitars and lutes.
On loan to the Horniman Museum.
Physical description
"Belly of two pieces of pine, double purfled in ebony. Back of twenty-five strips of ebony and ivory stringing, and the sides similar of nine strips. Wooden side linings. Neck root and open scroll of ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl engraved, as are also the ebony tailpiece, hook-bar and fingerboard. The back of the neck is veneered alternately with ivory and ebony strips. Ivory nut (width 6 cm). six pegs". - Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard insturments. (London, 1998), p. 7.
Place of Origin
Hamburg (city), Germany (made)
Date
1726 (made)
Artist/maker
Voigt, Martin (maker)
Materials and Techniques
Ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ebony ribs with ivory stringing
Marks and inscriptions
Martin Voigt in Hamburg me fecit 1726 Martin Voigt made me in Hamburg 1726
Dimensions
Length: 121 cm, Length: 67 cm body, Depth: 14 cm, Width: 30.5 cm upper bout, Width: 36 cm lower bout, Length: 66.5 cm strings
Object history note
This object was bought from from J.M.Whitehead for £60 - 0 - 0 in June 1871. It was said at the time to have belonged to the composer Joseph Haydn.
Descriptive line
Bass viol, ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ebony ribs with ivory stringing, made by Martin Voigt, 1726, Hamburg
Labels and date
BASS VIOL
German
By Martin Voigt, Hamburg, 1726
Pine top, ebony and ivory stringing sides and back. The tail piece and finger board ebony inlaid with mother of pearl ornament, depicting the Gods Apollo, Mercury, Venus and Diana.
Non-Keyboard Catalogue No.: 1/11
The role of the bass viol was largely supplanted by the 'cello by about 1780. The last great performer was Carl Friederich Abel who played in England and inspired amateurs such as Thomas Gainsborough.
No other instrument by Martin Voigt has survived but he may have been a pupil of Joachim Tielke.
1298-1871 [pre September 2000]
Materials
Ivory; Mother of pearl; Pine; Ebony
Techniques
Planing; Stringing; Purfling
Categories
Musical instruments
Production Type
Unique
Collection code
FWK
