{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O322091"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O322091/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010ED5661/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010ED5661/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010ED5661","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6024","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6023","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6022","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED5666","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED5665","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED5664","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED5663","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED5662","copyright":"Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O322091/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O322091","accessionNumber":"207-1882","objectType":"Arch-cittern","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Citterns were usually wire-strung instruments, and those with extra unstopped strings in the bass were known as 'arch-citterns'. However, this example was fitted with gut strings and presumably played with fingers. Made by Sébastien Renault of Paris (active c.1765-1804), this elegant instrument 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 and sides of sycamore, decorated with ebony stringing lines. Belly, painted a cream colour with barber's-pole purfling of ebony and mother-of-pearl. The same border surrounds the soundhole, which is filled with a rough rose, perhaps not original. Concave sides, narrowing towards the neck. The black-painted neck has two star-shaped mother-of-pearl position marks inlaid among the bass edge. The ebony fingerboard has seventeen brass frets and three small ivory position dots. Ebony pegs with ivory studs. The main pegbox has eleven, 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), p. 53.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Renault, Sébastien","id":"A29189"},"association":{"text":"Made","id":"x28690"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"sycamore","id":"AAT12357"},{"text":"pine","id":"AAT12620"},{"text":"mother of pearl","id":"AAT11835"},{"text":"ebony","id":"AAT12055"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"brass","id":"AAT10946"}],"techniques":[{"text":"stringing","id":"x37524"},{"text":"purfling","id":"x37774"},{"text":"joining","id":"AAT137062"},{"text":"planing","id":"AAT53863"},{"text":"turning","id":"AAT53158"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"planed and joined sycamore back and sides, with ebony stringing; planed, joined and painted pine soundboard, purfled (bordered) with ebony and mother-of-pearl;  turned ebony tuning pegs with ivory studs, planed ebony fingerboard with brass frets.","categories":[{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2010ED5661","2010ED6024","2010ED6023","2010ED6022","2010ED5666","2010ED5665","2010ED5664","2010ED5663","2010ED5662"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES299405"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Arch-cittern","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"Made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1780 - 1800","earliest":"1780-01-01","latest":"1800-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"110.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total length","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"40","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"length of belly","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"81","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum string length","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"49","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"minimum string length","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"11.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mean depth","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Anthony Baines: <i>Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments.</i> (London, 1998), p. 53","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"SB Renault à Paris","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"S.B.Renault in Paris.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Stamped on the back of the instrument."}],"objectHistory":"This instrument formed part of the collections of  Carl Engel (1818-1882) and was purchased by this museum for £5.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Arch-cittern, sycamore back and sides, with ebony and mother of pearl decoration, S.Renault, Paris, French,  1780-1800.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Anthony Baines: <i>Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments.</i> (London, 1998), p. 53."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["207-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"207","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}