{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O131669"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O131669/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JL2740/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JL2740/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JL2740","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JL2741","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JL2742","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JL2745","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JL2746","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JL2747","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EC7856","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O131669/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O131669","accessionNumber":"577-1872","objectType":"Hurdy-gurdy","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The hurdy-gurdy was long regarded as a peasant's instrument, associated with pastoral music. The melody would be played on keys, and a rotating wheel would supply a background drone, by rubbing the strings like a violin bow. But during the 18th century a hankering after the simple life amongst certain French aristocrats and richer members of the <i>bourgeoisie</i> helped make this instrument more fashionable. This elaborately decorated example was made by the Paris-based <i>luthier</i> Varquain. He was famous for making guitar-shaped hurdy-gurdies, known as <i>vielles en guitare</i>, no doubt having such customers in mind.","physicalDescription":"'Guitar-shaped body with mahogany belly edged with a barber's pole inlay of ebony and ivory, as is the lid of the keyboard, the wheel-guard and the tailpace. The last two of these also have small formal patterns inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Two  C-holes in the belly. The sides and top of the peg box, which continues on the line of the key box, are stamped with stars and have carved scallop ornaments as well. The fineal is in the form of a woman's head wearing a cap (the crescent over the forehead, a fashionable feature of such caps at the time, has been broken off). Vertical pegs for six strings'.  Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 25 - 26.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Varquain","id":"A18725"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"Varquain was a <i>maitre luthier</i> and the maker of a number of surviving hurdy-gurdies of this <i>vielle en guitare</i> model. Varquain constructed hurdy-gurdies and violins at the rue de Bussy from 1742-1761"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Mahogany","id":"AAT12221"},{"text":"Ebony","id":"AAT12055"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"mother-of-pearl","id":"AAT11835"}],"techniques":[{"text":"planing","id":"AAT53863"},{"text":"inlay","id":"AAT53853"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"},{"text":"joining","id":"AAT137062"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ebony, ivory and mother-of-pearl inlay, mahogany soundboard.","categories":[{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2016JL2740","2016JL2741","2016JL2742","2016JL2745","2016JL2746","2016JL2747","2010EC7856"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES299368"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Hurdy-gurdy","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1742","earliest":"1742-01-01","latest":"1742-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"66","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"31","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"string length","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"19.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Depth of body","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"45","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Length of body","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Varquain, ruë [sic] & carre-four de Bussi F.S.Germain, à Paris 1742","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in ink on the inside of the keybox lid."}],"objectHistory":"This instrument was bought for £12 in 1872 from A.Pickert of Nuremberg.  Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt, the art referee who recommended its purchased described it as \"pretty\".","historicalContext":"From Harvard: \r\nVielle: Marie Leszcynska played one, see pp. 234 of Fetes et Divertissements de la Cour: in 1745 Luynes notes that, on leaving the table, the queen frequently played the hurdy-gurdy with the musicians for a while, except on Friday, a day of devotion. (Luynes, 1860-1865, t. VII, p.31-2)\r\nDufort de Cheverny (Mem.Vol I. p.18) says that he did too, 'Car ces instruments etoient a la mode.' (1747)\r\n","briefDescription":"Hurdy-gurdy, made by Varquain, 1742, Paris","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard insturments. (London, 1998), pp. 25 - 26.\r\nBibliotheque nationale de France: Fetes et Divertissements a la Cour (catalogue from Versailles exhibition of same name, Nov. 2016 to Mar 2017). pp. 234"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["577-1872"],"accessionNumberNum":"577","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1872,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2007-02-12","availableToBook":true}}