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DHV:
1631
Tourin ID:

Size:

Bass

Place Made:

Maker:

GB

London

Thomas

Allred

Date:

1629

Label Text:

Thomas Allred / in Holborne / London 1629 [or 1625?] [handwritten]

Body Shape:

Viol

Current Location:

B

Liège

No. of Strings:

7

Collection:

Private Collection

Sound Holes:

C

Catalog Number:

Head:

Female

Private Owner:

Yes

Previous Owner:

Christophe Rousset, c. 2003-09; Raphaël Perulli

Measurements:

Body Length:

69.2

String Length:

69.5

Rib Depth:

13

Upper Width:

32.5

Middle Width:

24.1

Bottom Width:

39.8

Information

Source:

TGM examination, 6/13; Pierlot to TGM, 4/13

Literature:

Fleming 2016, pp. 94-98

Photographs:

Fleming & Bryan 2016, pl. 10 (front body only, label, pl. 11 (purfling details [color], p. 96-97 (purfling details); [by TGM: FB+S, back body only; reworked upper corners of F+B; head FB+S; label (color)]

Recordings:

Pierlot 2021 (Meditation), Pierlot 2020 (Sainte-Colombe), Pierlot 2017 (Marais, Resveries), Pierlot 2012a (English), Pierlot 2012b (Marais)

Auctions:

Comments:

TGM examination: 5-piece table, 2-piece back, both with double purfling and no other decoration (except long V on back at neck heel). Pegbox plain and grafted to neck. Black fingerboard has 13 inlaid ivory frets, now (and perhaps always) flush; nos. 9-10 now partly obliterated in center of FB. Cloth linings to corners and perimeter of back; soundpost plate doesn’t go to edges of back; very long bass bar, running from top block to bottom block. Has been significantly cut down, in both length and width, with clearly visible traces of original purfling tracks (on both table and back) and inner edges of C-holes. Very low arching. Bridge new, but Pierlot has old one that came to him on the viol. Last digit of label date unclear, either 9 or 5, but definitely not 1 (as Pierlot now agrees). Consultation with A. Dipper (at BEMF, 6/2013): carved head based on illustration in a published collection of Ronsard’s poetry; in Bertrand’s style, and conversion to 7 strings done by him (like Meares at Yale, restored by Dipper); pegs are original to conversion. Neck is service wood; neck heel originally slightly larger (top points of purfling V on back now too close to edge). Table of Baltic (not Alpine) spruce, and ribs/back of Scottish maple, slab cut; purfling is holly and bog oak; amber varnish is original and typical of early 17C England. Ivory lines on fingerboard perhaps added c. 1820; cleats to repair back crack in lower treble area look to be early 20C work.

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