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RCM 344 Epinette des Vosges A Lambert, Val d’Ajol, c.1800
RCM 58 Epinette des Vosges French, 19th century
Inscriptions Branded on soundboard: A. LAMBERT / A LA FEUILLÉE
Inscriptions None
Brief Description Epinette des Vosges, a box-zither with two stopped strings and three drone strings of metal Dimensions : 485 : at tail 61.5, at nut 48.5 : at tail 30, at nut 23 : 378 Description Front, back and sides of cherrywood. Two soundholes, one heart-shaped, the other a quatrefoil; bridge and nut of wire. Front and back overlap sides. Four small wire nails protrude from underside to prevent movement of instrument as it is played. Pegbox of beech; fourteen diatonic wire frets of staple form. Distance of frets from nut: 37, 75, 94, 124, 149, 164, 186, 206, 222, 233, 250, 263, 272, 284mm. Commentary These small zithers were played with a plectrum of quill or whalebone; the melody strings were stopped with a small wooden rod to play in unison, or with the thumb and first two fingers together to play in thirds.
Brief Description Epinette des Vosges, a box-zither with two stopped strings and three drone strings Dimensions : 501 : at tail 70, at nut 55 : 21 : 382 Description Front of ?cherrywood with two soundhole piercings, one spade-shaped, the other a quatrefoil in a circle; bridge and nut of wire. Back and sides of cherrywood; sides inlaid with two ornamental strips of boxwood. Pegbox with rudimentary scroll and pegs of ?hornbeam; fourteen diatonic wire frets of staple form. Distance of frets from nut: 31.5, 71, 92, 125, 153, 165, 188, 207, 225, 237, 255, 264, 272, 287.5mm. Provenance Gift of Sir George Donaldson, 1896 References Donaldson 1896, pl.XXI Wells 1984, p.14
Provenance Gift of Miss Eastman, 1973 References Wells 1984, p.14
Epinette des Vosges, RCM 344 [above]; Epinette des Vosges, RCM 58 [below] 30