Dear David, Indeed it looks like 8+4 setting. The 1st string runs almost to the edge of the bridge, but when examined on a big screen it's difficult to say if there is any hole left on the bridge (treble side). As for a ribbon stripe attached to the neck block button it could be that this kind of arrangement was favored by ladies because of side hoops (panniers) of their robes, which probably used to give much better stability and support for a lute. Another extraordinary feature of this lute is the number of fingerboard frets. I am not sure as the paint is a little bit smudged, but it looks like there are 11 frets + 2 wooden on the soundboard. All in all very unusual.
Best wishes Jaroslaw Wiadomość napisana przez David Van Edwards w dniu 19 lip 2012, o godz. 22:57: > Sorry, correction, I miscounted the diapasons it's 12 course > instrument, even odder. > > Though, if she was given to wholesale restringing, it could imply a > restrung theorbo (or more likely archlute given the apparent size) with > the normal 8 single diapasons becoming here four octave strung > diapasons. > > Best wishes, > > David > > Dear Jaroslaw, > > That's fascinating, I'd never looked for a high res image and had never > noticed. > > I'm sure you're right that the coloured strings imply octave stringing, > rare up as far as the 3rd course though it is. > > The empty nut grooves for 2 top strings are a bit more of a puzzle > because the current top string goes to the extreme end of the bridge, > so either the neck never was on at the right angle (unlikely for an > instrument belonging to such a rich well-connected lady, and anyway why > then the empty grooves) or she has spread the bridge courses as well as > removed one or two top courses. It's ended up as an 11 course > instrument and there is a fair amount of 11 course music intended for > liuto attiorbato, and the double diapason courses are also a liuto > attiorbato feature rather than an Italian theorbo feature, and imply a > relatively short grand jeu. But that's rather early for this date and > anyway the wrong country. Maybe it's a Baron style tuning for continuo > of D min but omitting the top course, which wouldn't necessarily > require tuning the whole instrument lower. All very intriguing! > > Also notice she is using a ribbon strap in a slightly "modern" round > the shoulder style but going to a button on the neckblock rather than > to the extension. Most of those neckblock buttons on surviving lutes > are too small to function in this way and we normally assume they > implied a tight gut cord between the buttons which was hooked onto a > clothing button. This looks more like the style of ribbon/strap used in > the Watteau painting of a similar period http://tinyurl.com/d95ag2a > This usage implies that the main stability was created by a constant > pressure forwards with the left-hand thumb. > > Maybe the French comparison of playing style and fashionable clothing > might suggest that she is simply playing 11 course French music? > > Best wishes, > > David > > At 21:12 +0200 19/7/12, =?iso-8859-2?Q?Jaros^3aw_Lipski?wrote: > > The portrait of Eleonore von Schlieben-Sanditten is quite well > known, I wonder however if anyone examined some details of her lute. > There are two interesting details that are easily visible in closer > magnification. 1/ There are 2 free grooves of the nut on the treble > side 2/ Beginning from the 3rd course every string within a course > on the bass side is red (octave tuning?). I just wonder if she got > rid of chantarelles and tuned down all instrument to set it for > continuo playing? Any ideas? > JL > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > -- > > The Smokehouse, > 6 Whitwell Road, > Norwich, NR1 4HB > England. > > Telephone: + 44 (0)1603 629899 > Website: http://www.vanedwards.co.uk > > -- > >
