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Alto viol

"Belly of three pieces of pine with simiulated purfling in black paint. Back of two pieces of sycamore. Wooden side-linings. Probably built as a small tenor viol, the body has been cut down at the shoulders to a large treble, or 'alto size. Pegbox with a poorly carved head with long hair, and which black inlaid stringing. Modern tailpiece and fingerboard. Ivory nut (width 4.5 cm). Six ebony pegs." Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 5.

  • Date:
    ca. 1650 (made)
  • Maker:
    Unknown
  • Collection:
    Victoria and Albert Museum
  • Inventory number:
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  • Place of production:
    England
  • Culture:
  • Period:
  • Materials:Plained pine belly; planed sycamore back and sides; planed ebony fingerboard; carved peg box. .
  • Specific materials/techniques:
  • Decorative elements:
  • Inscriptions:Andreas Amati Cremoniensis Anno 1637 Andrea Amati of Cremona, in the year 1637
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:
  • Repository:Victoria and Albert Museum
  • Measurements:Length: 74 cm total length, Length: 40.6 cm Length of belly, Depth: 5.3 cm, Length: 39 cm string length, Width: 21 cm Width of upper bout, Width: 26 cm Width of lower bout