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Spinettino

2nd half of the 16th century (assigned), Manufacturer: anonym

 

 

Spinettino

As the name suggests, the spinettino is a small spinet that sounds one octave higher owing to the shorter string length. This so-called four-foot pitch corresponds to the standard size of instruments of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. To obtain maximum resonance, the body of Italian instruments was made of very thin cypress wood. For protection the instruments were kept in a stable outer case which was often decorated with elaborate ornamentation, as this instrument shows. The instrument is from Ambras Castle in Tyrol and was part of the castle’s Kunst- und Wunderkammer. It is one of the earliest surviving spinettini that are still playable. (rh)

Lit.: Rudolf Hopfner: Masterpieces from the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments. A Short Guide through the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Vol. 1, Vienna 2019

Location: Neue Burg, Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente Saal 9

Object data

Object Name

Spinettino

Culture

Italy

Dated

2nd half of the 16th century (assigned)

Manufacturer

Dimensions Cover size is a museum or exhibition-specific information. It does not specify the real dimensions of the musical instrument.

680 mm x 450 mm x 200 mm

Image rights

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente

Inv. No.

Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente, 121

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