I tried to find what the strange object under the bird might be. I
believe it is a musette de cour with the chanter removed.
There is a similar picture here:
http://music.geocities.jp/muzettes/EngFile/main_eng/pictures_diag/hotteterre_musette.gif
I have asked David Van Edwards for his thoughts on the picture. With
his authorization, I am forwarding his comments, useful as usual.
Gernot
The lute of course is easy, it's an early type of extended bass as
also shown in several Molenaer paintings and in the comic drawing of a
country musician [enclosed] and one exists in Copenhagen [No. 93]
converted from a Sixtus Rauwolf lute with the handwritten label
SIXTVS RAVWOLF // AVGVSTANVS 1598 [1599?].
manu propr
suggesting that he himself, not an apprentice made it. The extension
is unlikely to be original but not impossible.
The other object is much more difficult isn't it! I wonder if it's a
musette with the bag hiding behind the brazier? There's a suggestion
to my mind that the artist has tried to show extremes of each sense
with the garlic and horseradish root as well as the more normal
things. On this reading the hearing goes from pleasant lute via
slightly snarling musette to raucous pheasant or peacock, it's a
rather weird looking bird!
The brazier is unusual for these kind of pictures too, again
suggesting extremes of fealing. I bet that's the sort of implement the
original instrument makers used as a bending iron, without the fancy
curlicues which would get in the way.
In fact it's a very interesting picture on all levels, the lute has
such a clear gut strap with loop that we know was commonly used but
rarely so clearly shown, and its fancy lace edging is nice, as is the
beautifully rendered yew wood with part sap even on a wide rib lute.
I wonder what the significance of the dice and cards is. Their
numbering goes 2 4 6 6 8 I wonder if that is important? Maybe it's
just another form of counting as also implied by the music.
I expect all these things have already been covered by other contributers.
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
