{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O143091"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O143091/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EK2534/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EK2534/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EK2534","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EE9630","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EE9618","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EC7902","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010EC7901","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU9706","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O143091/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O143091","accessionNumber":"160-1882","objectType":"Violin","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Thomas Howell made violins, 'cellos, double basses and guitars in Bristol during the 1830s and 1840s. In December 1835, he took out a patent for 'improved' stringed instruments, so as to give them a better tone and appearance than the traditional version. Distinctive though they look, with their simplified curves, Howell's instruments never achieved any lasting popularity and failed to replace the tried and tested form of violins and 'cellos which musicians prefer.\r\n","physicalDescription":"'Model without corners and with two-lobed bottom. Back of one piece of sycamore. Pine belly with C holes back to back. A flat tailpiece of ebony inlaid with an arrow pattern, and a nearly flat, plain ebony fingerboard' (Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 17 - 18).","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Howell, Thomas","id":"A12738"},"association":{"text":"designer and maker","id":"x34662"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"sycamore","id":"AAT12357"},{"text":"pine","id":"AAT12620"},{"text":"ebony","id":"AAT12055"}],"techniques":[{"text":"planing","id":"AAT53863"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Planed pine, sycamore and ebony","categories":[{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2010EK2534","2010EE9630","2010EE9618","2010EC7902","2010EC7901","2017JU9706"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES341733"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Violin","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bristol","id":"x28767"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1835-1840","earliest":"1835-01-01","latest":"1840-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"60","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"30.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"body","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum, part I, keyboard instruments by Howard Schott. part II, non-keyboard instruments by Anthony Baines.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Gasparo da Salo","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed label (no date) on inside of instrument."}],"objectHistory":"This instrument formed part of the collections of Carl Engel (1817 - 1882), which were purchased by the South Kensington Museum in 1882, and was valued at £2.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"English, pear-shaped with arrow-motif inlaid on the tail. Howell's patent, 1835-40","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 17 - 18."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["160-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"160","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-19","recordCreationDate":"2008-01-09","availableToBook":true}}