Skip to main content
Image Not Available for Mandolin
Mandolin
Image Not Available for Mandolin

Mandolin

Date1921 ca.
Place MadeNew York, New York, United States, North America
Modeltwo-point
Serial No.none
SignedPrinted on paper label with decorative border: A. GALIANO / RAPHAEL [Masonic compass] CIANI / FABBRICANTE DI / MANDOLINI / E CHITARRE / GARENTITE
DescriptionStringing: 8 steel strings
Soundboard: one-piece spruce, medium grain; slightly bent
Back: two-piece maple cut off-the quarter; medium, horizontal curl; slightly bent; strip of purfling along center joint, slightly to the treble side of center
Ribs: four-piece maple cut off-the quarter; medium curl
Head: mahogany; broken pediment-style with turned, brass ornament; veneered with dark-stained hardwood over light and dark-stained layer (purfling not cut into strips); abalone foliate inlay of identical design to that on NMM 10772, plectrum guitar by John D’Angelico, 1937
Neck: mahogany, integral with head
Heel cap: dark-stained hardwood; set in from back
Binding: white celluloid on top; white ivoroid on back; three-ply, black-white-black celluloid strip trim on front, back, and ribs
Fingerboard: ebony; 20 nickel-silver frets under D and G strings; 20 nickel-silver frets under A-string; 28 nickel-silver frets under E-string, this section of the fingerboard over a spruce extension bridging the soundhole; foliate mother-of-pearl inlay behind 1st, 3rd, 10th and 15th frets; foliate abalone inlay behind 5th, 7th, and 12th frets; single mother-of-pearl dots behind 17th, 20th, 22nd, and 25th frets; mother-of-pearl side dots behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th frets
Nut: bone
Bridge: ebony; bone saddle with string offsets set into top; ends terminate in separate guitar-pin heads with abalone eyes glued to top
Tuners: two pairs of nickel-plated steel inset worm-gear machine tuners with mother-of-pearl heads and nickel-silver plates with engraved and impressed floral designs
Rosette: two rings of black-white-black-black four-ply celluloid purfling with space between; soundhole bound on inside with tan-colored ivoroid
Pick guard: imitation tortoise shell celluloid with extension on treble side; inlaid with two abalone angels playing a lyre and foliate design; lyre strings made from inlaid white celluloid strips
Tailpiece: nickel-plated steel in shape of armrest
Lacquer: clear on front; brown stain on back, ribs and neck
Linings: thick spruce in upper bouts; changes to kerfed maple about one inch below corners
Corner blocks: dark-stained hardwood, probably maple
Neck block: mahogany or Spanish cedar; grain runs parallel to plane of top and back
End block: ebony; wide; shallow
Top braces: four large spruce braces set into linings, three below soundhole, one above soundhole
Back braces: four large spruce braces set into linings; wide maple back graft; upper spruce brace cut down after it was set into linings
DimensionsTotal mandolin length: 617 mm (24-5/16″)
Back length: 325 mm (12-13/16″)
Upper bout width, between points: 139 mm (5-15/32”)
Waist width: 134 mm (5-9/32″)
Lower bout width: 255 mm (1″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 48 mm (1-29/32″)
Rib height, at waist: 51 mm (2″)
Rib height, at end block: 50 mm (1-31/32″)
Head length: 152 mm (6″)
Head width, top: 66 mm (2-19/32″)
Head width, bottom: 52 mm (2-1/16″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 149 mm (5-7/8″)
Neck width, nut: 29 mm (1-5/32″)
Neck width, heel: 36 mm (1-7/16″)
Soundhole diameter: 50 by 78 mm (3-7/8″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): high E: 347 mm (13-21/32″); low E: 348 mm (13-11/16″)
ProvenancePurchased from Lowell Levinger, Inverness, California, 2008.
Published ReferencesPaul Schmidt and Arian Sheets. The Masters' Bench (Vermillion, South Dakota: National Music Museum, 2016)
Credit LineTony and Bonnie Vinatieri Family Trust, 2008
Object number13563
On View
On view
12-string guitar
Raphael Ciani workshop
1923 ca.
Mandolin
Albert Burton Shutt
1909-1911 ca.
Guitar
Orville Gibson
1902
Guitar
Grammer Guitar Company
1969 ca.
Hawaiian guitar
Gibson, Inc.
1936
Guitar
Gibson, Inc.
1934-1936 ca.
We use cookies to ensure we give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to use this site or by closing or clicking "I agree", you agree to the use of cookies. I agree