Banjo-viola

Unknown

late 19th century · Wood, brass, ebony, mother of pearl · Musical Instruments

Oval-shaped viola with banjo-type body; table of stretched vellum with hoop around edge, fastened to sides and stretched by brass band and threaded steel tensioning rods; sides of bent maple in one piece, pierced between rods; back of stretched vellum, attached to sides by narrow bent strip of maple, screwed on ; maple neck and scroll, wedge at base of neck, four ebony pegs inserted laterally; four strings (two gut, one steel-wrapped gut extant); ebony fingerboard, nut and tailpiece, with tail gut attaching tailpiece to ebony bottom button; pegs and button with mother-of-pearl tips; maple viola bridge, with wooden brace under table at bridge.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 19th century

Medium

Wood, brass, ebony, mother of pearl

Culture

German

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889