Pardessus de viole
Alternate name(s)
- Treble viola da gamba
- Treble viol
Date1700 - 1800 ca.
Place MadeFrance, Europe
Serial No.none
SignednoneMarkingsWritten lightly in pencil on each of the center ribs and the bass side of the top: H
DescriptionThe pardessus de viole was a small-sized instrument created to allow the violin repertoire to be played by a viol player. This example has five strings and is currently disassembled.
Top: two-piece, quarter-cut spruce: fine grain
Back: one-piece, slab-cut maple: medium curl; flat back with no break
Ribs: slab-cut maple: medium curl
Head and neck: maple: narrow curl; pegbox terminates in female head wearing hat; back of pegbox relief carved foliate decoration; faceted neck shape
Arching: back flat with no break
Purfling: purfling on top, none on back
Varnish: medium orange-brown
Fingerboard: maple with narrow curl, originally stained black
Nut: missing
Tailpiece: ebony with bone plate at key-shaped string holes; upper edge angled; probably later
Tailpiece attachment: ebony bar and hook
Pegs: five miss-matched pegs; two black-stained fruitwood with undercut, concave heads and mother-of-pearl eyes, two ebony with undercut heads; one black-stained fruitwood with undercut head
Saddle: none
Soundholes: C-shaped; inside edges stained dark brown
Linings: spruce
Corner blocks: poplar or willow
Top block: spruce
Bottom block: spruce;
Bassbar: spruce; low height; original
Back bracing: wide and low spruce brace in center bout at soundpost position
Other: saw and fine-toothed scraper marks on inside of ribs
DimensionsTotal pardessus length: 608 mm
Top length: 323 mm
Upper bout width: 150 mm
Center bout width: 97 mm
Lower bout width: 191 mm
Upper rib height: 41-50 mm
Center rib height: 48-50 mm
Lower rib height: 48-49 mm
Stop length: 175 mm
Vibrating string length: 328 mm
Neck length (bottom of nut to ribs): 149 mm
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Estate, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1988.
Credit LineArne B. Larson Estate, 1988
Object number04588
On View
Not on view
1625-1630 ca.
