{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O58876"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O58876/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BG5124/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BG5124/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BG5124","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BE6819","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O58876/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O58876","accessionNumber":"W.15-1915","objectType":"Guitar","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This guitar is perhaps the most lavishly decorated instrument of its kind, and it belonged to Doña Manuela de Rosas, daughter of Don Juan Manuel de Rosas (1797-1877), dictator of Argentina, who fled into permanent exile in England in 1852.  \r\n\r\nThe back and sides of this guitar are made of pine veneered with amboyna, a tropical wood more prized for its appearance than its resonance. The instrument was made by Agustín Altimira (1805-1884) of Barcelona, who won a silver medal for one of his guitars at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878. It is a fairly late example of  the smaller-bodied and lighter-toned guitar widely used in Spain until the 1870s, after which it was gradually replaced by the modern classical guitar, the invention of Antonio Torres (1817-1891) of Cadiz.","physicalDescription":"Guitar with pine back and sides, veneered with amboyna; engraved and painted ivory plaque on the back; pine soundboard, with mother-of-pearl openwork; painted mother-of-pearl purfling (bordering); ebony-veneered neck","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Altimira","id":"A11855"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ebony","id":"AAT12055"},{"text":"mother-of-pearl","id":"AAT11835"},{"text":"amboyna","id":"AAT14261"},{"text":"pine","id":"AAT12620"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving","id":"AAT53829"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"planing","id":"AAT53863"},{"text":"veneering","id":"AAT53878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006BG5124","2006BE6819"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES341733"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Guitar","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Barcelona","id":"x28736"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1840-1849","earliest":"1840-01-01","latest":"1849-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Manuel Terrero","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"95","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"45","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"belly","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"30.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"9.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"No. 385 Fab'ca de Altimira. Calle Escudellers No. 61. Barcelona. año 184.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Spanish","medium":"","method":"printed","position":"on the inside of the back board, below the mouth of the instrument.","script":"","translation":"No. 385 Made by Altimira.Calle Escudellers No 61. Barcelona. in the year 184[?]","transliteration":"","type":"Label","note":"Label; Spanish; on the inside of the back board, below the mouth of the instrument.; printed"}],"objectHistory":"Gift from Manuel M. Terrero Esq., Rockstone House, Pinner. RP152231M.\r\nPresented by Manuel Terrero Esq. A.R.S.M.as having belonged to and been used by his mother, Doña Manuela de Rosas de Terrero, only daughter of General Don Juan Manuel de Rosas, ex Dictator of the Argentine Republic.\n\n\"Guitar. Barcelona; mid-nineteenth century. Fig. 84. Label, printed: <i>No. 385 Fabca. de Altimira. Calle de Escudellers No. 61. Barcelona, año184</i> . Back of a single piece of Amboyna wood veneered on to two pieces of pine. Sides of amboyna without pinewood base. Belly of a single piece of pine, purfled with mother-of-pearl painted with floral designs. Surrounding the soundhole, hunting scenes painted on wood with figures of painted and inlaid mother-of-pearl. An oval medallion with a love scene is painted on the back with figures similarly executed. Pin bridge faced with mother-of-pearl and surrounded with mother-of-pearl marquetry carved and applied to the belly. Plain neck block. The raised fingerboard has seventeen metal frets, between them panels of engraved and painted mother-of-pearl representing rural scenes and floral designs. Machine head for six strings.\"\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Guitar, Spanish, Altimira, 1840-1849","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"London, Victoria & Albert Museum: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Part II, Anthony Baines: <i>Non-keyboard instruments</i> (London, 1998), p. 60"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Hunting scene","id":"N3727"},{"text":"lovers' scene","id":"N3728"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"GUITAR\r\nAltimira (Spanish, active c.1840-1880); Barcelona, about 1845\r\nThe printed label reads \r\nNo. 385 Fab'ca de Altimira. Calle Escudellers No 61. Ano 184. \r\nAmboyna veneered back, on pine, amboyna sides, top of pine \r\nwith mother of pearl purfling, painted mother of pearl soundhole \r\nand finger board.   \r\n \r\nNon-Keyboard Catalogue No.: 12/9 \r\n \r\nAltimira was active between about 1840 until 1880, and he won \r\na silver medal for his guitars at the Paris Exhibition of 1878.\r\nThis instrument belonged to the daughter of Don Juan Manuel de \r\nRosas, Dictator of Argentina, who fled to England in 1852, and \r\nwas presented to the Victoria & Albert Museum by his grandson in 1915. \r\n \r\nGiven to this Museum by Manuel Terrero.\r\n\r\nW.15-1915","date":{"text":"pre September 2000","earliest":null,"latest":"2000-08-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.15-1915"],"accessionNumberNum":"15","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1915,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"serial number","id":"THES54733"},"number":"385"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-17","recordCreationDate":"2001-05-16","availableToBook":false}}