Viola da Gamba Society of America

DHV: 1734 Tourin ID: Size: Bass Place Made: Maker: GB London Date: Label Text: George Miller, in Vine Court / near (?) Bishop‘s Gate, London 1669 Body Shape: Viol Current Location: GB Ramsgate No. of Strings: 6 Collection: Private Collection Sound Holes: C Catalog Number: Head: Lion Private Owner: Yes Previous Owner: [professional gambist in Germany] Measurements: Body Length: String Length: Rib Depth: Upper Width: Middle Width: Bottom Width: Information Source: Owner to TGM 1/22, 9/22 Literature: Photographs: [Unpublished, from S. Mackey 1/22: front, back 3/4, upper back ornament, head 3/4 (color)] Recordings: Auctions: Comments: 3-piece back with black lines between pieces, geometric decoration at top and bottom, and separate purfling outlines for fold and lower back. Plain pegbox; head not original, similar to ex-Dolmetsch Miller and likely by him; label may be facsimile of that one.

DHV: 184 Tourin ID: BRUS 53 Size: Bass Place Made: Maker: F Paris Nicolas Bertrand Date: 1687 Label Text: Nicolas Bertrand / A Paris 1687 [handwritten] Body Shape: Viol Current Location: B Brussels No. of Strings: 7 Collection: Musée des instruments de musique Sound Holes: C Catalog Number: 227 Head: Female Private Owner: Previous Owner: François-Joseph Fétis, Brussels Measurements: Body Length: 64 String Length: 66 Rib Depth: 13.8 Upper Width: 30.5 Middle Width: 22.8 Bottom Width: 38 Information Source: PT visits 6/77 & 9/78 Literature: Raspé 1972, p. 217; Mahillon 2/1893, 1:322 Photographs: On museum’s website (F+S [color]; front); [by TGM 6/88, on display: front, front 3/4, head (color)]; [unpublished, in Heale Archive, from museum: FB+S] Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Raspé 1972 dimensions 117.8, 63.8, 30.6/22.6/38.1, 13.2. Tourin: single purfling on table, none on back; narrow main brace, not beveled; no corner blocks or liners, just linen. Mahillon: facture très ordinaire. Drawings by François Bodart available from museum.

DHV: 237 Tourin ID: DOLM 09 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: GB London No. of Strings: 6 Collection: Horniman Museum Sound Holes: C Catalog Number: M60-1983 Head: Female Private Owner: Previous Owner: Dolmetsch Collection, -1983 Measurements: Body Length: 68 String Length: 66.5 Rib Depth: 12.7 Upper Width: 30.3 Middle Width: 23 Bottom Width: 37.3 Information Source: TGM visit 8/03; Dolmetsch 1978, p. 66; PT visit 6/77 Literature: Hebbert 2001, p. 300 (1713:1); Palmer 1981, p. 28; Dolmetsch 1978, p. 66 Photographs: minim.ac.uk, also museum postcard (front 7/8 [color]); Palmer 1981, p. 29 (front); Dolmetsch 1978, pp. 66-7 (F+B, head, all 3/4); Dolmetsch 1962, p. 17 (front); ; Dolmetsch 1904, p. 135 (front 7/8); Dolmetsch 1905, p. 113 (head side)--or are these STE 4?; [by TGM: FB+S, head FB+S, table ornament (color)] Recordings: Auctions: Comments: 3-piece table, 2-piece back, both with double purfling (single around C-holes). Relief carving on back of pegbox; it and head are quite large; neck profile rather rounded. Blond fingerboard and tailpiece with busy inlaid geometric designs; bridge stamped Arnold Dolmetsch; hookbar includes threaded hole for endpin. Either side of this appear 6 (or 7?) plugged holes, probably for former set of sympathetic strings. Palmer 1981: head, fingerboard and tailpiece are reconstructions. Tourin dimensions 68.0, 30.0-/-37.5, 13.5, 65.5. Table ornament Type VI, back center BN monogram, upper Type IIIa, lower Type III.

DHV: 140 Tourin ID: BRUS 06 Size: Quinton Place Made: Maker: F Paris J. B. D. Salomon Date: 1760 C Label Text: Salomon à Paris [stamped on back] Body Shape: Violin Current Location: B Brussels No. of Strings: 5 Collection: Musée des instruments de musique Sound Holes: F Catalog Number: 1398 Head: Female Private Owner: Previous Owner: V & J Mahillon, Brussels Measurements: Body Length: String Length: Rib Depth: Upper Width: Middle Width: Bottom Width: Information Source: PT visits 6/77 & 9/78 (?) Literature: Herzog 2003, QT-86; Mahillon 1900, 3:40 Photographs: On museum’s website (F+S [color]); MacCracken 2017, p. 65 (front) Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Mahillon 1900: “La caisse...rappelle la forme du violon.” 2 pegs treble, 3 bass side.

DHV: 1512 Tourin ID: Size: Pardessus Place Made: Maker: F Mirecourt Nicolas Chappuy Date: Label Text: N. CHAPPUY [stamped on table and back] Body Shape: Viol Current Location: USA New York, NY No. of Strings: 5 Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art Sound Holes: C Catalog Number: 2006.504 Head: Scroll Private Owner: Previous Owner: Gerald Trimble, Asheville, NC, 2006; André Bissonet, Paris Measurements: Body Length: 32.6 String Length: Rib Depth: Upper Width: 15.7 Middle Width: 10.7 Bottom Width: 19 Information Source: Museum website; Trimble to TGM (phone), 6/09 Literature: Museum’s annual report 2006-07 (on website) Photographs: On museum’s website (F+B [color]); on cover of Mitteilungen der Viola-da-Gamba-Gesellschaft Nr. 112, Herbst 2019; MacCracken 2017, p. 67 (front) Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Arched back; body measurements noted as “(bottom)”--i.e., taken on back? 2 pegs treble, 3 bass side.

DHV: 1681 Tourin ID: Size: Pardessus Place Made: Maker: F Bordeaux Feyzeau Date: 1750 C Label Text: Feyzeau [stamped at top of back] Body Shape: Viol Current Location: B Loupoigne No. of Strings: 6 Collection: Private Collection Sound Holes: C Catalog Number: Head: Private Owner: Yes Previous Owner: Measurements: Body Length: String Length: Rib Depth: Upper Width: Middle Width: Bottom Width: Information Source: Owner to TGM, 10-11/15 Literature: Photographs: [Unpublished, from owner, 10-11/15: F+B body only; FB+S, head 3/4, brand stamp; front full next to ex-Dolmetsch Feyzeau (color); eBay.fr, 9/15: front (color)] Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Fingerboard and tailpiece with wide ivory strip at bridge ends, tailpiece with large, round “baseball” ornament also on Yale and ex-Dolmetsch pardessus by Feyzeau. Head missing, freshly cut off the presumably original pegbox; 5 pegs also present. Description on eBay.fr, (seen 10/11/15, with listing or sale date identified as “il y a 2 semaines” and place as “Bordeaux 33, France”): “Exceptionnel pardessus de viole par le luthier Feyzeau à Bordeaux au 18e siècle, marqué au fer Feyzeau, étiquette intérieure, dans l’état, à restaurer ou à garder tel. Une clé cassée, les 5 autres complètes, manche anciennement cassé et réparé, entièrement d’origine, très beau, vers 1750.” [Is label therefore undated?]

DHV: 803 Tourin ID: STOCK 02 Size: Pardessus Place Made: Maker: F Paris Louis Guersan Date: 1752 Label Text: Ludovicus / Guersan / propè / Comoediam / Gallicam / Lutetiae / Anno / 1752 Body Shape: Viol Current Location: S Stockholm No. of Strings: 5 Collection: Swedish Museum of Performing Arts Sound Holes: C Catalog Number: F339 Head: Coolie Private Owner: Previous Owner: Daniel Fryklund, Helsingsborg, 1924-66; R. Savoye, Paris, no. 51 Measurements: Body Length: 32.9 String Length: 31 Rib Depth: 4.8 Upper Width: 16.1 Middle Width: 11.4 Bottom Width: 20.1 Information Source: Museum website; museum to TGM, 4/04; Norlind 1945, p. 46; PT visit 10/78 [not seen] Literature: Norlind 1945, p. 46 Photographs: On museum’s website (front); [unpublished, from museum, 4/04: FB+S (color)] Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Striped back and ribs. 2 pegs treble, 3 bass side. Double purfling on table, La Fille type carving on pegbox; head with coolie hat.

DHV: 1394 Tourin ID: Size: Treble ? Place Made: Maker: I ? Date: 15.. ? Label Text: Body Shape: Violin Current Location: A Vienna No. of Strings: -4 Collection: Vázquez, José [heirs] Sound Holes: F Catalog Number: 86 Head: Private Owner: Yes Previous Owner: Measurements: Body Length: String Length: Rib Depth: Upper Width: Middle Width: Bottom Width: Information Source: Vázquez website Literature: Photographs: Vázquez website (F+B body only [color]) Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Body has square shoulders, with upper corners slightly pointed. Back has diamond pattern covering nearly whole length, plus additional ornaments at top, bottom, and four corners.

DHV: 1557 Tourin ID: Size: Bass Place Made: Maker: Date: Label Text: Antonius & Hieronymus Fr. Amati / Cremonen Andrea fili F. 1614 Body Shape: Viol Current Location: J Tokyo No. of Strings: 6 Collection: Musashino Academia Musicae, Museum of Musical Instruments Sound Holes: C Catalog Number: A 133 Head: Lion Private Owner: Previous Owner: [acquired in 1962] Measurements: Body Length: 74 String Length: 68.5 Rib Depth: 12.6? Upper Width: 33.4 Middle Width: 24.2 Bottom Width: 42.5 Information Source: Motomi Igarashi, 7/10 Literature: [Museum catalogues and website] Photographs: 2 different museum catalogues (dates unknown) (front 7/8); [unpublished, from Motomi Igarashi, 7/10: FB+S body only, head FB+S, many details (color)] Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Body has been significantly enlarged in upper bouts, with original outline still clearly visible. Single purfling on table, double on back (with extra lines near top), also relief carving just below button; gilded lion’s head. C-holes quite curly, perhaps German-style. Tailgut.

DHV: 144 Tourin ID: BRUS 10 Size: Tenor Place Made: Maker: I Venice Heinrich Ebert ? Date: 15.. Label Text: Hainrich Ebert [printed] Body Shape: Viol Current Location: B Brussels No. of Strings: 6 Collection: Musée des instruments de musique Sound Holes: F Catalog Number: 1402 Head: Scroll Private Owner: Previous Owner: Count Pietro Correr, Venice, -1886 Measurements: Body Length: 43 String Length: 43 Rib Depth: 9 Upper Width: 21.6 Middle Width: 13.6 Bottom Width: 24.2 Information Source: Moens 2002, pp. 104-08; Moens 1995, pp. 192-207; Moens 1987a, pp. 6-10; PT visits 6/77 & 9/78 Literature: Moens 2002, pp. 104-08; Segerman 2000, pp.24-25; Moens 1995, pp. 192-207; Edmunds 1994, pp. 21-22; Otterstedt 1994, pp. 143-4; Moens 1989, pp. 46-47; Woodfield 1984, pp. 125-27; Edmunds 1980, pp. 75, 80-81; Mahillon 1900, 3:41 Photographs: On museum’s website (F+S [color]); Moens 2002, pp. 105-07; Moens 1995, pp. 193, 196, 198, 201-02, 205 (FB+S, label, inside of front, interior details, neck and head side); Moens 1987a, pp. 7-8 (same as 1995); Edmunds 1994, p. 22 (with table removed); Otterstedt 1994, p. 144 (table); Moens 1989, pp. 46-47; Woodfield 1984, p. 126 (front; with table removed); Paganelli 1966/1970, p. 85 (front); Mahillon 1900, 3:42 (front) Recordings: Auctions: Comments: Museum’s website : treble viol, date before 1580 (”uncertain”); Mahillon 1900: dessus de viole, mid-17th C. Edmunds 1980: tenor viol, string length originally 52-55 cm, other dimensions 42.5, 25.5/-/21.5, 10.2; Edmunds 1994: original barrel-vaulted table replaced with a carved one, probably in early 17C. Website: central bass bar is integral, not glued. Moens 2002: tenor viol; uses old parts, probably from an early 17th-C. Alpine bass violin; “a premeditated intention to imitate a historical state that never existed.” Moens 1995: many suspicious features; probably made by cutting down a larger instrument (note 2-piece neck). Moens 1989: dendrochronology suggests table no older than 1580; its arching and outline fit exactly between the soundholes of a small double bass. Back has also been cut down from something larger (open worm holes); ribs may have been rebent; fingerboard has been narrowed and shortened. Otterstedt 1994: 1580 date assumes no loss of perimeter wood, but this is an unsafe assumption; viol has been open since 1960s, and table has gradually reverted to original arching; ribs cracked in places from rebending cold so as not to harm existing varnish; neck and pegbox perhaps carved from an existing cello neck. Tourin: maximum string length 47.0. (Website: string length approx. 47)