Viola da braccia Form (composite)
date: label: date made
content: 19th century
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This viola da braccia form was made by an unknown maker, provenance unknown, probably 19th century. This is a composite instrument made of a two-piece table of spruce, one-piece back of plain walnut, ribs of similar walnut, stained (black) grafted hardwood neck is terminated in a pegbox with seven pegs and carved monkey head, and opaque reddish-brown varnish. </p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This object is composed of unrelated fragments and does not appear to have ever functioned as a musical instrument in this form. The body in viol shape bears crude “flame” soundholes, shallow ribs and an arched back. The unusually long neck is terminated in a pegbox with seven pegs and a primitive, carved monkey head. Acquired from the collection of Leopoldo Franciolini in 1892.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>Leopoldo Franciolini (1844–1920) was an Italian antique dealer who flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is remembered as a fraudster who sold faked and altered historical musical instruments.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.095267
label: accession number
content: 26256
label: catalog number
content: 95267
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Viola Da Braccia Form
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: spruce (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: walnut (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ebony (neck material)
label: Physical Description
content: boxwood (pegs material)
label: Physical Description
content: gut (strings material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 28 1/4 in x 8 3/4 in x 4 1/2 in; 71.755 cm x 22.225 cm x 11.43 cm