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RCM 52 Lira da Braccio ?English, first third of 19th century, labelled Joan Karlino Inscriptions Handwritten on inside of back: Joan Karlino / Brescia 1452 [spurious] Brief description Early 19th-century re-creation of a lira da braccio with seven strings, five on the fingerboard and two bourdons. Dimensions : 730 : 457 : upper bouts 217, middle bouts 157, lower bouts 267 : 37.7 : 371 Description Violin outline, with indentation at tail. Front one-piece, highly-arched, of medium grain; f-shaped soundholes very broad at notches; single purfling. Ribs and one-piece back with shallow arching, of maple with figure of medium curl; very small button at heel of neck. Neck and pegbox of one piece, not altered; neck angled back in modern style; the pegbox hollowed from the solid; seven frontal pegs of brown-stained box. Bridge similar to a modern viola bridge in height and piercing.
Commentary Possibly by one of the Panormo family (information from Charles Beare). Although accepted as an early lira da braccio for many years, it is one of the many imitations or forgeries of early models of bowed stringed instruments that were produced in England by makers such as the Panormos and Lotts. Provenance Gift of Sir George Donaldson, 1894. Formerly owned by George Chanot and exhibited by him in 1872 (see South Kensington 1872, p.12, no. 133, ‘Viola’) References South Kensington 1872, p.12 Reade 1872 Vienna 1892, p.60 & ill. p.67, pl.XVI, no.11 Niederheitmann 1894, p.xi Donaldson 1896, pl.XX Van der Straeten 1914, p.647 Galpin 1928, p.880 Grove 1928, v.5 p.524 pl.LXXXVIII Grove 1948, v.3 p.207 pl.LXXXVIII Grove 1954, v.8 pl.67 Baines 1966, p.7 Galpin 1968, p.74 pl.XXIX Witten 1975, p.48 Coates 1985, p.55 Holman 1993, p.1 Scott-Jones 1995, pp.10, 14 & ill.
Lira da braccio, ?English, RCM 52 152