DHV:
801
Tourin ID:
STE 4, HSU 1
Size:
Bass
Place Made:
Maker:
GB
London
Barak
Norman
Date:
1713
Label Text:
Barak Norman / at the Bass Viol in / St. Pauls Church-yd / London Fecit / 1713 [printed except 1713]; Barak / Norman / London /Fecit [stamped on table]; BN monogram in center of back
Body Shape:
Viol
Current Location:
USA
Ann Arbor, MI
No. of Strings:
6
Collection:
Stearns Collection, University of Mich.
Sound Holes:
C
Catalog Number:
1925
Head:
Female
Private Owner:
Previous Owner:
Cornell University, 1977-8; John Hsu, Ithaca, NY, 1967-77; Dolmetsch, -1967
Measurements:
Body Length:
69.1
String Length:
65.2
Rib Depth:
11.2
Upper Width:
31.5
Middle Width:
23.3
Bottom Width:
37.5
Information
Source:
TGM visit 5/09; Monical appraisal, 11/78
Literature:
Hebbert 2001, p. 300 (1713:2)
Photographs:
On museum’s website (FB+S, head FB+S, bottom rib, table ornament (color)]; [by TGM: back body only; details of back bottom ornament, hookbar, 4 rib joints at corners; label (color)]
Recordings:
Auctions:
Comments:
3-piece table with tulips pointing in from each corner; 3-piece back; double purfling on both. Relatively low arching and bridge. Neck and pegbox modern, head old. Back has no crossbars except soundpost plate, but does have wooden linings at fold, vertical joints, and perimeter, also corner blocks. Monical dimensions [probably taken on back] 68.0, 32.0/23.5/37.5, 11.4 [12.5 at center bout], 65.0. Provenance: in 1977 Hsu swapped BN’s with Cornell: his 1713 for their 1702. In 1978, Cornell sold 1713 to Michigan (and Hsu sold 1702 to Sally Pinchot in early 1980s). Last digit of label date easy to misread as 8 (as current Stearns catalogue does), but verified as 3 with photo to confirm. Table ornament Type VI, back center BN monogram, upper and lower Type II.