321.321-5 Necked bowl lutes sounded with the bare fingers

A small theorbo, with a back of fifteen ribs, alternately rosewood and ivory. Pine belly with carved rose and ivory purfling, also an ivory heart-shaped ornament to the lower end. The bridge is probably not original. The back of the neck has marquetry decoration in snake wood and ivory consisting of floral scrolls, a bird and a double-headed eagle. The fingerboard has ivory panels engraved with figures and a landscape, framed with ebony and ivory strips. The main pegbox has fourteen pegholes but a nut with eleven grooves. The upper pegbox has fourteen pegholes of which two are plugged, and an offset nut which appears to be of later date. Pine soundboard, ivory purfling (bordering), rosewood and ivory ribs, with ebony and ivory veneer front of neck and ivory and snakewood marquetry back of neck. The theorbo, which looks like a very long-necked lute, unites the functions of melody and accompaniment. The shorter set of strings, which pass over the fretted fingerboard, are used like the ordinary-sized lute both for passagework and chords. But the second and longer set of strings sound only as open low notes. The theorbo’s flexibility made it vital to continuo groupings throughout the Baroque. Like many lavishly decorated instruments, this one probably was made for a wealthy amateur.

The theorbo, which looks like a very long-necked lute, unites the functions of melody and accompaniment. The shorter set of strings, which pass over the fretted fingerboard, are used like the ordinary-sized lute both for passagework and chords. But the second and longer set of strings sound only as open low notes. The theorbo’s flexibility made it vital to continuo groupings throughout the Baroque. Like many lavishly decorated instruments, this one probably was made for a wealthy amateur.

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