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NOTES ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS. 
ITALIAN LYRE-GUITAR. 
See Page I. 
This rare and beautiful specimen of early nineteenth century 
Italian work was obtained by Mr. Baker in Ledbury. The 
maker (who will be seen by the facsimile of the label) was one 
of the finest fabricators or makers of these instruments. 
GIO : BATTISTA, Fabricatore e Figlio 
Raff, fecit Neapoli 1815 in Sa. 
Ma. dell’Ajuto. Num. 32. 
The Guitar is 32J ins. in height and 14^- in width, and has 
three small sound holes, six strings, ebony ornamentation over 
the table, and a coating of beautifully pure varnish. It is played 
like the ordinary Guitar. 
Gennaro, another member of the same family (probably a 
brother), made a Guitar for the celebrated violinist, Nicolo 
Paganini, in 1819, at Naples. The great beauty of the above 
instrument lies in its elegant and graceful form, its high finish, 
and its lovely Neapolitan varnish, which was and is noted for its 
transparency. In partial contrast to it is a fine German specimen 
purchased in Munich, and of date about 1800, chiefly of satin- 
wood, with brass eagles’ heads and frets. It was made in a 
suburb of Ratisbon (Regensburg), and bears the following label : — 
JOSEPH SCHWEIGER, 
Instrumenten macher in Stadt-am-hof. 
When I was in Ratisbon in 1882, I instituted enquiries re- 
specting this maker, and found that his son had only recently 
died ; and that both he and his father were celebrated as 
musical instrument makers This Lyre- Guitar is 32 ins. in 
height by 1 3^ in width ; it has two small sound holes ; its front is 
unvarnished, and its back is from a beautiful piece of wood with 
a varnish of special richness. 
