Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874 › scan 350
Scan 350
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874
18 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 324. See the scan on archive.org.
1instrument against a table. It was the custom of lute players, especially at an early time, to rest the instrument against a table instead of holding it fast by means of a band flung round the shoulders.
3Through the sound-hole may be seen the name of Laux Maler exactly corresponding with the fac-simile of Maler's autograph given in Gottlieb Baron's work on the lute, entitled, 'Untersuchung des Instruments der Lauten,' Nürnberg, 1727. The wood and varnish are of the kind used by the celebrated Cremona violin makers. Since lutes went out of fashion many valuable ones have been cut to pieces for the purpose of using the wood in restoring valuable Cremona violins; and this is one of the reasons why they are now so scarce. But the chief reason of the scarceness of Laux Maler's lutes is undoubtedly the length of time which has elapsed since they were made.
5(86.)
7THEORBO. Italian. 17th century. Twenty-four strings. Ornamented sound-hole.
9(171.)
11ARCHLUTE. Italian. Made by Bueckenberg, Rome, 1619. Bueckenberg, a German by birth, was one of the most celebrated lute makers in Italy. He made the back of the lute with narrower slips of wood than most other makers, and his lutes have generally three ornamented sound-holes.
13The present archlute has a mechanism by means of which any one of the bass strings by the side of the finger-board can be raised a semi-tone in pitch.
15(170.)
17CHITARRONE. Large Roman theorbo. With marquetry, and ornamented sound-holes. Italian. Made by Bueckenberg in Rome, anno 1614.
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