HANDBOOK OF THE COLLECTION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 79 



organ, the notation for the lute being a special system known as 

 tablature. 



The group of old Italian lutes is particularly interesting. The 

 bass double-necked lute, called "chitarroni" (95252), was made by 

 Augustius Costa, of Brescia, in 1622. It is 77% inches long and has 

 five gut frets tied around the neck and finger board. It is strung 

 with 11 gut strings, part of which do not pass over the finger board, 

 but are tuned by transverse pegs set in a second neck. The vibrating 

 length of the stopped strings (over the finger board) is 30 inches, 

 while that of the open strings is 62% inches. The use of the long, 

 open bass strings points to a time prior to the knowledge that the 

 pitch of a string could be lowered by winding it closely with wire. 

 Such strings are said to have been introduced in France in 1625, 

 and are known as " overspun " or " silver " strings. A smaller in- 

 strument of this type is 95250. 



A different type of bass lute is the theorbo (95306), made about 

 1600. This differs from the arch lute, or arciliuto (95308, pi. 34c) 

 only in the tuning of the stopped strings, which in the former are 

 tuned singly and in the latter are timed in pairs. An engraved pearl 

 plate on the liuto (95255) bears an inscription, which is translated 

 "Giovanni, son of Giuseppe Gerusa, 1761," indicating the name of 

 the maker and date of manufacture. 



The Italian mandola, or lute-shaped cither, had the form of a lute, 

 but was smaller. A particularly fine instrument, dated 1661, is 

 95254 (pi. 34c). 



A modern Arabian lute is shown as 125556 (pi. 34a). The finger 

 board is inlaid with ivory and pearl and has no frets. The Syrian 

 lute, 95143, has no frets and has 12 gut strings tuned in pairs. It is 

 picked with a long piece of quill stripped from the staff of a black 

 feather. A modern Egyptian lute (125557) has its head terminating 

 with the carved neck and head of a peacock. It has 12 strings. A 

 Moorish lute from Tangiers is shown as 95736. The finger board is 

 inlaid with bone and pearl and it has no frets. It is strung with 

 eight gut strings tuned in pairs. Over the lower end is a shield or 

 protector of gold-embroidered velvet. 



A particularly handsome specimen is the lute from Arabia 

 (125556). The body is built up of 11 bent staves of thin wood and 

 the belly is of thin unvarnished pine. The neck is half round, its 

 back inlaid with vines and flowers in light-colored wood. The head 

 is bent back from the neck and terminates in a scroll. The finger 

 board is inlaid with ivory and pearl and has no frets. The instru- 

 ment is strung with eight gut strings tuned in pairs. 



A small Italian instrument with a lute-shaped body is 95285. The 

 neck is long and slender, with a rounded back and nine gut frets. 

 It has three strings of gut. 



