Psalmodikon

Alternate name(s)

Bowed box zither

Date1914 ca.

Place MadeTrondheim, Norway, Europe

Modelnone

Serial No.8065x

SignedPrinted in white letters on red background of circular paper, adhesive label (which was loose in instrument and was retrieved by Margaret Downie Banks, stored in file): ERNST SAVOSNICK / 8065x (hand-written) / DIAF TRYGGVESØN GD / Bedste / Indkjöbssted / for alle slags / Zaars garanti (hand-written) / Instrumenter og Uhre / Stöstse Forretning / i Branchen / TRONDHJEM / 6/2 / 14
MarkingsHandwritten in pencil inside sound hole, script: Sorensen
DescriptionPsalmodikon is the vernacular name in Norwegian and Swedish. Norwegian tradition for psalmodikon practice utilizes the transposition stick or rule, placed above the fretboard to facilitate use in various keys for an array of singing situations. Unlike the Norwegian tradition, Swedish instruments typically do not use the transposition stick, and therefore, the brackets for holding, as well as the wear marks for use of, are not present.

material: wood (sound box, fretboard, brackets for transposition stick, block, bridge, and peg); metal (frets, end button, nails, and eyelet for hanging); resin or hide glue (adhesive); red fabric (hanging strap)
configuration: two end blocks with thin strips of wood for the table and sides tacked with small metal nails into wooden blocks on interior of sound box; fretboard tacked to table with metal frets; sound hole between bridge and fret board
sound box: two end blocks with thin strips for sides, table and back; resin or hide glue adhesive visible; stained; small, wooden blocks attached to sound box interior for connecting table and sides
sound hole: circular sound hole positioned between bridge and end of fret board
fretboard: narrow strip of wood held in place by frets driven through to tack into table; painted black
position markings: lines in ink or pencil drawn on table to correspond to frets, hand-written ink or pencil numbers for Sifferskrift notation on table with line markings
brackets: wooden brackets attached to table for positioning transposition stick; one at each end of fretboard
peg: cello peg, probably added by Arne B. Larson, according to Margaret Downie Banks; inserted dorsally
bridge: adjustable wooden bridge held in place by two wooden side rails, allowing forward and backward motion – aligned with string; black, wedge-shaped
end button: commercially-made, metal screw secures string; positioned on same plane as bridge
hanging eyelet: eyelet screwed into end block, nearest end button; red fabric tied through eyelet for hanging
string: gut string
Dimensionslength: 824 mm (32.4 in)
width: 90 mm (3.5 in)
height (sound box): 47 mm (1.9 in)
diameter of soundhole: 33.9 mm (1.33 in)
length of fretboard: 608 mm (24 in)
width of fretboard: 18.7 mm (0.74 in)
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.

Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979

Object number04979

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