top of page
DHV:
1458
Tourin ID:

Size:

Bass

Place Made:

Maker:

GB

London (Southwark)

Henry

Jaye

Date:

1610

Label Text:

Henrie Jaye / dwelling in Southwarke / 1610 [handwritten, not all capital letters]

Body Shape:

Festoon

Current Location:

CDN

Toronto, ON

No. of Strings:

-4

Collection:

Royal Ontario Museum

Sound Holes:

Flame

Catalog Number:

913.4.31

Head:

Female

Private Owner:

Previous Owner:

R. S. Williams, Toronto, -1913

Measurements:

Body Length:

70

String Length:

69

Rib Depth:

12.4

Upper Width:

32

Middle Width:

22.5

Bottom Width:

37.9

Information

Source:

TGM visit 1/07; museum to TGM, 9/06

Literature:

Fleming 2007, p. 30 (JP 17); Galpin 1910, p. 90

Photographs:

[Unpublished, from museum: F+B 7/8, side 3/4, head 3/4, diamond ornament at bottom of back, label]; [by TGM: pegbox front, head FB+S, label (color)]

Recordings:

Auctions:

Comments:

Festoon-shaped body, very pointed upper corners and one inner corner in each side of lower bout. Converted to cello, keeping original head; status of pegbox unclear (has 4 pegs plus 2 empty holes, but also grafts to head and neck). 2-piece table not original: irregular and coarse wood grain, flat arching, no purfling or other decoration, flame holes with small top eyes. 2-piece slab-cut back with wings, double purfling, and pattern of diamonds at bottom. In poor condition, with top block broken away and bottom block missing (also hookbar, tailpiece, and bridge). Linen and some wood linings, no corner blocks or crossbars except soundpost plate. String length estimated as 68-69. Handwritten notes by Ray Nurse (1995) in museum file: “label seems authentic and in its original place” [though NB not in block capitals]; original back, ribs, and carved head (but not pegbox), probably also soundpost plate; “some fine original varnish on parts of the back and ribs”; table “is a coarse replacement, ...jointed off-centre”. Many internal repairs using both linen and cleats; no corner blocks. Galpin 1910: “We have recently seen in a well-known auction room a fantastically shaped Bass Viol of small size, of which, however, only the back, sides and carved head were original, with the label “Henrie Jaye, dwelling in Southwarke 1610”.

bottom of page