Stringed instrument
Category
Musical instruments, devices and recordings
Date
Unknown
Materials
wood, catgut & metal
Measurements
290 x 1120 mm
Order this imageCollection
Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
NT 290018
Summary
Dulcimer, anonymous, probably English , mid-late 19th century. Softwood frame and mahogany hitchplank and wrestplank. Two soundholes The hitchpins lie to the (player’s) left, the wrestpins to the right. To the left of the centre of the soundboard (and also painted gold) there are six chessmen bridges, joined by a brass rod. A second, slightly lower rod joins the four chessmen further from the player. The steel strings are arranged in five double and sixteen triple courses. On the bottom boards of the instrument, in large cursive letters drawn in red (?)crayon, are the initials (?)D G H. The instrument lies in its original case which is grained and, internally, papered to resemble quarter-sawn oak. The lock, lid hinges and lid hooks are of brass. There are the remains of two beaters with the instrument, each lacking its head.