10-course tenor lute
Maker
Richard Berg
Date1985
Place MadeOttowa, Ontario, Canada, North America
SignedWritten in black ink on paper label with cut corners: Richard Berg / Ottawa 1985DescriptionThis lute was made by Canadian luthier Richard Berg and represents an early 17th century model.Stringing: 10 courses; 9 double courses and one single top string
Soundboard: two-piece quarter-cut Swiss pine: narrow-to-medium grain with slight bear-claw figure; top extends 27 mm onto neck; ebony and bone triangle with concave sides inlaid at bottom edge
Bowl: 13 yew staves divided by ebony spacers
Clasp: yew
Head: beech; veneered in ebony on exterior with bone on top of head; one black-painted hardwood rider on treble side
Neck: veneered with ebony
Binding: ebony half-binding
Fingerboard: ebony; 8 tied gut frets; four bone frets inlaid into top
Nut: bone
Bridge: black-stained light hardwood tie bridge with scroll ends, the top with scribed line around border and asterisk-like stamps
Pegs: 19 medium plum pegs with integral pins
Rose: geometric, carved from top
Finish: clear varnish on bowl
Bowl lining: light strips of cloth reinforcing stave joints and running perpendicular to stavesDimensionsTotal 10-course tenor lute length: 700 mm
Length of body, to neck: 416 mm
Top length: 443 mm
Maximum body width: 311 mm
Maximum bowl height: 122 mm
Head length: 220 mm
Head width, top: 31 mm
Head width, bottom: 62 mm
Neck length (nut to ribs): 227 mm
Neck width, nut: 72 mm
Neck width, heel: 95 mm
Soundhole diameter: 88 mm
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 572 mmProvenancePurchased new by donor.
Credit LineGift of Donna J. Curry, 2021
Object number15615
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