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Cittern (English guitar)
late 18th century
Object Place: England
Medium/Technique
Maple, spruce, ebony, brass
Dimensions
Length 72.5 cm, width 30.6 cm (Length 28 9/16 in., width 12 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Miss Mary C. Wheelwright
Accession Number27.2241
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsMusical Instruments
ClassificationsMusical instruments – Chordophones
DescriptionTwo-piece back and ribs of maple. Belly of fine-grain spruce. Edges of back and belly edged with binding of ebony. Painted purfling along edges of back, ribs, and belly, and encircling soundhole. Rose of stamped brass with bird amongst foliage, and retaining ring of ivory. Neck and sickle-shaped head of maple terminating in square finial veneered with various woods. Watch-key tuning mechanism of brass. Fingerboard of ebony with three holes for capo and twelve frets of brass. Nut, saddle, and capo of ivory with wing nut of brass. Bridge of ebonized wood with cap of ivory. Ten pegs of ivory at lower end of body for fastening strings. Ten strings: two singles and four pairs. Amber varnish. Original case of wood covered with leather.
Provenance1927, gift of Mary C. Wheelwright, Boston, Massachusetts, to the MFA. (Accession Date: March 22, 2007)
Fantasie, 1768
Composed by Rudolph Straube
Performed by Olav Chris Henriksen