Neapolitan mandolin
Date1900-1925 ca.
Place MadeChicago, Illinois, United States, North America
Serial No.none
SignednoneDescriptionSoundboard: two-piece spruce: wide-grain
Bowl: 21 rosewood staves, 19 inner ribs narrower, divided by holly stringing
Clasp: rosewood; festooned lower end; ivory-plastic binding
Head: mahogany with rosewood veneer and ivoroid binding on front face
Neck: mahogany; integral with head
Binding: ivoroid; trim comprised of strip of alternating maple/rosewood rhombi, bound on either side by four-ply light hardwood stripe/strip of alternating rosewood and maple rectangles/light hardwood stripe/rosewood stripe
Fingerboard: rosewood or brown-stained maple with ivoroid binding; 17 nickel-silver frets; mother-of-pearl single dots inlaid behind 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th frets
Nut: bone
Bridge: missing
Tuners: two sets of worm-gear machine tuners with nickel-plated brass plates, nickel-plated brass rollers, and black celluloid heads [one bass tuner head missing]
Tailpiece: nickel-plated brass; cover missing
Rosette: elliptical; bound in ivoroid; trim the same as that found around soundboard edge
Pick guard: imitation tortoiseshell celluloid with decorative vine ivoroid inlay
Lacquer: slightly yellowed with craquelure
Bowl lining: black paper
Blocks: mahogany neck [integral with neck] and end blocks
Top braces: spruce brace with tapered ends above soundhole; spruce brace with tapered ends below soundhole and at widest point of soundboard
Linings: kerfed spruce
DimensionsTotal mandolin length: 623 mm (24-17/32”)
Top length: 320 mm (12-19/32”)
Maximum body width: 208.5 mm (8-7/32”)
Maximum bowl height: 152 mm (5-31/32”)
Head length: 150.7 mm (5-15/16”)
Head width, top: 67.3 mm (2-21/32”)
Head width, bottom: 53.2 mm (2-3/32”)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 145 mm (5-23/32”)
Neck width, nut: 29 mm (1-1/8”)
Neck width, heel: 36.7 mm (1-7/16”)
Soundhole height: 42.5 mm (1-21/32”)
Soundhole width: 68.3 mm (2-11/16”)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 334 mm (13-5/32”) [approx. – estimated from discoloration on soundboard indicating previous bridge position]
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.
Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979
Object number03881
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1900-1925 ca.