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Cither viol
Perry & Wilkinson (Irish, active 1787–about 1839)
1794
Object Place: Dublin, Ireland
Medium/Technique
Maple, spruce, ivory, brass
Dimensions
Length 71.1 cm, width 23 cm (Length 28 in., width 9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Leslie Lindsey Mason Collection
Accession Number17.1725
CollectionsEurope, Musical Instruments
ClassificationsMusical instruments – Chordophones
DescriptionBody of a modified viol type. Back of one piece of maple, highly arched, with ink line purfling. Ribs of maple. Belly of pine, highly arched, with ink-line purfling and sound-holes of the flame type. Both back and belly have overhanging edges. Neck and peg-box of maple, ending in a cittern-like head with a square end inlaid with pearl and ebony. Finger-board of stained walnut, inlaid with ivory lining. Tail-piece of black stained boxwood, with ivory inlay; affixed to the ivory tail-pin by U-shaped bent wire fastened to a silver reinforcing piece, the ends of the wire formed into rivet heads. Five double strings, four lower ones of spun silk, six higher ones of steel wire held in the tail-piece by small ivory buttons. Movable bridge with ebony top, ivory nut. No regular peg-box, instead a very solidly constructed machine head with the worm-wheels concealed inside. Internal construction of the violin type.
InscriptionsPrinted label: Made by / THOs. PERRY and Wm. WILKINSON / Musical Instrument Makers / No. 6, Angelsea Street / No. [handwritten: 1954] DUBLIN 17 [handwritten: 94]; stamped on back: No 1954 / PERRY / DUBLIN
ProvenanceFrancis W. Galpin (1858-1945), Hatfield Regis, England; 1916, sold by Francis W. Galpin to William Lindsey (1858-1922), Boston, Massachusetts; 1916, gift of William Lindsey, in memory of his daughter, Leslie Lindsey Mason, to the MFA. (Accession Date: October 5, 1916)