Hardingfele
Maker
Gunnar Olevesson Helland
Date1895
Place MadeBø, Telemark, Norway, Europe
Serial No.none
SignedLabel: [stamps of 2 seals above name, left hand one shows 3 persons and indecipherable text; right hand one has indecipherable text] / Gunnar Helland / [same 2 seals as above] /
1895 / B", Telemarken
Name is stamped; date is handwritten
Label is read through treble f-hole, not bass, as normally expected
DescriptionA folk violin with 4 primary strings (2 wire, 2 gut), and 4 sympathetic strings (latter are
wire). Pronounced arching at the f-holes (f-holes not nicked)
No purfling on front or back – rather have extensive penned (ink) decoration (floral,
foliate) on belly, back, ribs and pegbox. Some of the design, at the edges, resembles
inlaid pieces of alternating dark and light-colored wood
The back is basically made of one piece of wood, with an additional piece on the bass
flank.
The belly is made in two pieces: note fine crack on belly at bass side of bridge at this
point. Follows bass bar.
The tailpiece and fingerboard are similarly decorated with a dark or stained wood
(ebony?) veneer over pine (?). The veneer is decorated with pieces of bone and mother-
of-pearl.
The strings are attached to the tailpiece with metal hooks. The tailpiece is also attached
To the endbutton by means of two metal hooks.
The fingerboard is “U”-shaped, and almost touches belly.
The pegbox ends in a lion’s (?) head (More like a dragon’s head) with tongue stuck out
and 4 bone teeth, topped with a gilded crown and mane (?)
8 ebony pegs with mother-of-pearl eyes.
Accompanying bow is branded “Heddon C” – it is made of metal painted brown.
There is no thickening of the “bass bar” on the bottom, as in older examples.
Bone saddle.
4 corner blocks inside, but no linings.
Long, thick bassbar on upper plate.
Neck nailed to back (see plug on back)
Violin-like end block
Honey-colored varnish
DimensionsBack length: 35 cmwidth, upper bout: 15.5 cm
Overall length: 60 cmwidth, center bout: 10 cm
thickness: ca. 6 cmwidth, lower bout: 19 cm
thickness of ribs: 3.2 cmtailpiece length: 13.8 cm
vibrating string length: 28-29 cm (variance in bridge settings)
fingerboard length, without nut: 21.5 cm
Credit LineArne B. Larson Estate
Object number04556
On View
Not on view
1750 ca.
