{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O322090"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O322090/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010ED6393/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010ED6393/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010ED6393","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6398","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6397","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6395","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6394","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6279","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6036","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O322090/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O322090","accessionNumber":"211-1882","objectType":"Arch-cittern","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Citterns were usually wire-strung instruments, like this example, and those with extra unstopped strings in the bass were known as 'arch-citterns'. This elegant instrument was most likely made in Paris in about 1780, and was probably intended for drawing rooms and salons, whereas the German and Swiss versions of the arch-cittern were more often used for playing folk music.","physicalDescription":"\"Back of two pieces of sycamore. Belly with a paper rose. The purfling resembles that on 11/12 [arch-cittern by Sébastien Renaut, Museum no.: 207-1882: i.e. \"barber's pole purfling of ebony and mother of pearl\"] and the sides of the body are singularly concave. Ebony fingerboard with seventeen frets. Pegboxes, number of strings, and oblique upper nut similar to 11/12 [i.e. \"The main pegbox has eleven [tuning pegs], for four double courses and three single. The upper pegbox has five for five single basses, and has an oblique nut.\"] - Anthony Baines: <i>Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments</i> (London, 1998), pp. 53-54.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"Made","id":"x28690"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"sycamore","id":"AAT12357"},{"text":"ebony","id":"AAT12055"},{"text":"pine","id":"AAT12620"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"mother of pearl","id":"AAT11835"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"brass","id":"AAT10946"}],"techniques":[{"text":"planing","id":"AAT53863"},{"text":"joining","id":"AAT137062"},{"text":"purfling","id":"x37774"},{"text":"turning","id":"AAT53158"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Planed and joined sycamore back and sides, with ebony stringing; planed, joined pine soundboard, purfled (bordered) with ebony and mother-of-pearl;  turned ebony tuning pegs with ivory studs, plained ebony fingerboard with brass frets.","categories":[{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2010ED6393","2010ED6398","2010ED6397","2010ED6395","2010ED6394","2010ED6279","2010ED6036"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES299405"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Arch-cittern","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"Made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1775 - 1785","earliest":"1775-01-01","latest":"1785-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"115","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total length","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"43","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"length of belly","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"88","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum string length","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"33","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"11","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"49","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"minimum string length","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measurements taken from Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 53-54.","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This instrument was part of the collections of Carl Engel (1818-1882) and was bought by this Museum for £3.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Arch-cittern, sycamore back and side, ebony and mother-of-pearl decoration, French, 1775-1795.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Anthony Baines: <i>Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998)</i>, pp. 53-54."}],"production":"'Clearly the work of one of the Parisian luthiers of the period, possibly Renault' - Anthony Baines: <i>Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments.</i> (London, 1998), p. 54.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["211-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"211","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-01","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}