Violin-uke

Alternate name(s)

Fretless zither
Bowed zither
Chord zither
Zither, bowed melody strings, chord, body with narrowed waist near tuning pins and flared shape near saddle
Violin zither

Date1934-1950 ca.

Place MadeNew Troy, Michigan, United States, North America

Serial No.8526

SignedPrinted in blue on white paper label: Violin-Uke / Patent Applied For / GUARANTEED 5 YEARS / $28 50 / 8526 / NEW TROY, MICH.
"8526"stamped in blue
ink on label

DescriptionAn American "numerical zither," which is played by bowing the melody strings and plucking the chord strings. Made of wood, in the shape of a small, narrow lyre, with flat back, top, and sides. Attached foot / hand rest has flat base. Gold-brown varnish, with purple air-brushed diagonal stripes; back is painted black. Single soundhole. Bridges of dark metal, sandwiched between gold-painted wood. Metal tuning pins, hitch pins, and positioning pins. Two tacks on back near foot serve as props.
Sixteen melody strings, which run at a slight angle to instrument top. Sixteen chord strings in groups of four, which run parallel over the instrument top. All tuning pins are grouped at the top of the instrument. Melody and chord decals, and tuning and positioning pins, are attached directly to top of instrument; chord hitch pins are attached to end of body and are covered by the foot / hand rest.
chord decal, located just above hitch-pin bridge; colors same as for melody decals
Dimensionsbody: 18 7/8 in. (48 cm.) x 6 1/4 in. ((15.9 cm.) at widest x 1 1/2 in. (39 mm.)
foot: 1 1/8 in. (28 mm.) x 5 1/2 (14 cm.)in. x 1 9/16 in. (5 cm.)
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.

Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979

Object number03837

On View

Not on view