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English guitar

This English guittar is a late variant of the cittern. The front is made of softwood, varnished golden brown, with a twelve-pointed rose of ebony and ivory set in an open-work ornament of polished wood. The back and sides are made of varnished maple, outlined with pen and ink in place of inlaid purfling. It has six courses of strings (four double) and a capotasto device. The head is inlaid with a starburst of ivory and dark wood. The tuning system, which is operated with ten rosewood pegs, probably original.

  • Date:
    c.1760
  • Maker:
    Preston, John [Person]
  • Collection:
    Ashmolean Museum
  • Inventory number:
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  • Place of production:
    London (Timezone: Europe/London)
  • Culture:
  • Period:
  • Materials:maple, ivory, ebony, metal
  • Specific materials/techniques:
  • Decorative elements:
  • Inscriptions:inscription/mark: JP / PRESTON MAKER / LONDON (stamped on the back of the pegbox, monogram with crown)
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:
  • Repository:Ashmolean Museum
  • Measurements:733 mm length; 356 mm body length; 292 mm body max. (back) width; 56.5 mm body (neck) depth; 75 mm body (tail) depth; 421 mm string length