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Neapolitan mandolin

Maker Antonio Vinaccia

Date1772

Place MadeNaples, Italy, Europe

Serial No.none

SignedWritten in ink on label inside Mandolin: Antonius Vinaccia Fecit / Neapoli in Via Constantii / A-1772.MarkingsnoneDescriptionThe modern classical mandolin is dominated by the Neapolitan version of the instrument, which developed in the second half of the eighteenth century. This early example by a member of the prominent Vinaccia family, is typical of a very high-end product of the period. It bears copious exotic inlays, such as tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl.

Stringing: four pairs of metal and gut strings
Soundboard: two-piece quarter-cut spruce: very narrow grain broadening to medium at the edges
Bowl: 23 quarter-cut maple staves with narrow curl; the inner 21 strips much narrower and fluted, divided by bone and ebony purfling strips
Clasp: maple cut off the quarter with narrow curl; festooned and decoratively cut outline with vine motif; separate piece at joint with top on lower end
Head: festooned hardwood with tortoiseshell veneer and mother-of-pearl with red-brown mastic decorative inlay; bone and ebony strip trim along center of back
Neck: hardwood veneered with tortoishell, bone, and ebony strips
Binding: mother-of-pearl with bone and ebony purfling strip trim on top and sides and additional tortoiseshell strip on side
Fingerboard: tortoiseshell with mother-of-pearl binding and ebony and bone strip trim; decorative mother-of-pearl and red-brown mastic inlay; ends at joint with body; 10 silver frets on fingerboard, 6 ebony frets inlaid into top
Nut: mother-of-pearl; ridges cut between each course
Bridge: brown-stained maple with raised vine-shaped ends
String holders: four decoratively turned ivory with red-brown mastic eyes set into clasp
Tuners: eight ebony friction pegs with mother-of-pearl pins
Pickguard: tortoiseshell with decorative outline in mother-of-pearl, surrounded with very small bone and ebony purfling
Soundholes: round soundhole with two flanking f-holes bound in mother-of-pearl
Rosette: decorative mother-of-pearl inlay set into imitation tortoiseshell mastic, surrounded on each side by very small bone and ebony purfling trim
Lacquer: golden on back
Decoration: abstract vine mother-of-pearl inlay set in tortoiseshell mastic with red-brown mastic accents, at lower and upper ends of soundboard
Bowl lining: silvered paper (according to John Koster, this type of paper was used for waterproofing. He suggests that the maker may have intended to waterproof the instrument by lining it.)
Neck block: light hardwood, possibly willow or poplar with single iron nail into neck
Linings: small hardwood blocks placed intermittently at joint
Braces: large spruce lateral braces above and below round soundhole; small spruce braces along inside edges of f-holes to reinforce them; translucent parchment glued along center joint with tabs of same material along break
Other: burn marks on inside of top break
DimensionsTotal Neapolitan mandolin length: 566 mm
Top length: 277 mm
Maximum body width: 178 mm
Maximum bowl height: 120 mm
Head length: 151 mm
Head width, top: 67 mm
Head width, bottom: 53 mm
Neck length (nut to ribs): 141 mm
Neck width, nut: 26 mm
Neck width, heel: 34 mm
Soundhole diameter: 42 mm
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 327 mm
ProvenancePurchased in 2001 from Tony Bingham, London, England.
Published ReferencesAndré P. Larson. Beethoven & Berlioz, Paris & Vienna: Musical Treasures from the Age of Revolution & Romance 1789-1848. With essay by John Koster. Exhibition catalog, Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, September 12-November 2, 2003. Vermillion: National Music Museum 2003. Title page and page 70.

Credit LineBoard of Trustees, 2001

Object number10006

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