Banjo
J. H. Bou & Co.
Category
Musical instruments, devices and recordings
Date
Unknown
Materials
wood, metal, catgut & skin
Measurements
915 mm (Height); 290 mm (Diameter)
Place of origin
Rangoon
Order this imageCollection
Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
NT 290026
Summary
Banjo, designated 'The Mikado Regd. Banjo, English, c.1900. Stamped into a metal roundel mounted in the centre of the resonator at the back of the instrument): THE / MIKADO / REGD / BANJO; (stamped into the heel at the base of the neck): (?)D. Law & Co / RANGOON / MANDALAY 2386. 5 strings, all tuned at the machine head, the thumb string (which is slightly raised in height by a stud) passing into and under the fingerboard. There are 22 frets. The vellum head is held by a metal hoop with 18 tensioning screws. Between the two head-tensioning screws nearest the neck is a ball-shaped capstan screw which acts as a ‘wedge plate’ between hoop and ring. The ring of the resonator is veneered in rosewood, the back may be of rosewood. The neck and head are of mahogany.
Marks and inscriptions
Bou, J.H. and Co., Rangoon, Mandalay
Makers and roles
J. H. Bou & Co. , manufacturer