View Full Version : What the doo-dilly ding-dong is this?
http://i3.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/6b/b9/70_3.JPG
Unbelievable! (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=359&item=7322539519&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW)
The top..
http://i16.ebayimg.com/03/i/03/6c/6b/8f_3.JPG
mad dawg
May-15-2005, 3:11pm
Looks like an old mandolin that may have doubled as a Pope's hat.
John Flynn
May-15-2005, 4:49pm
It bears some slight resemblance to the Stratavari mandolin that is in the American Museum. This may have been a contemporary, or it may have been inspired by that one.
MandoJon
May-16-2005, 4:18am
My guess is that it's a musical instrument of some kind, probably plucked-string... I'm guessing though http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
onthefiddle
May-16-2005, 6:06am
I think that MandoJon's description is most accurate!
This has appeared on eBay before, and presumably hasn't sold. It doesn't fit happily into any of the types of Mandolin described in Stephen Morey's "Mandolins Of The 18th Century". Previous discussions have concluded that it appears to have had more than one incarnation, and may have passed through (or emerged from) the workshop of a certain Signor Francolini, who made a living by turning lovely old instruments into gaudy anachronistic oddities, that were seemingly irressistible to (then) gullible museums and collectors.
Anyway, I can confirm that this is definitely a plucked-string thing of some kind!
Jon
Eugene
May-16-2005, 10:09am
Indeed. This is listed on eBay with some frequency. This is similar to the mandolini of Stradivari, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, etc., except the bowl (being a showcase of bas relief) and headstock (as a back-bent, flat peghead rather than a sickle-shaped pegbox...or even a peghead set at a ca. 15 deg. angle) are not at all typical. See Stradivari (http://www.usd.edu/smm/StradMandolin.html) or Smorsone (http://servsim.cite-musique.fr/museedelamusique/detail_notice.asp?ExtIDLink=DOCUMENT18672) for more typical instruments of the type.
The luthier who made this either had one over the top patron or he never learned to quit. My estimation of his (her?) output, maybe 2 instruments...
Looks like it may have been influenced by H.P.Lovecraft, or strong drink.
Alex Timmerman
May-17-2005, 3:16am
Jip, there are at least two of these kitchen table tinkerings around.
IŽll see if I have an image of the other one for you.
Best,
Alex
Eugene
May-17-2005, 9:51am
What I'd really like to know is how do you play anything in first position when confronted with this rather stupid peghead:
http://i24.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/6b/dc/de_3.JPG
Moose
May-17-2005, 10:18am
...AND.., it'd never "cut" over a banjo!! - hee..., hee.., (you da' man, Eugene!) - http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
Eugene
May-17-2005, 10:31am
...And you da' Moose, Moose. Enjoy.
jasona
May-17-2005, 11:13am
Ostentasteless.
"Ostentasteless" - Well said!
etbarbaric
May-17-2005, 8:16pm
Yes ostentasteless, perfect! Every time this thing comes up I feel compelled to stare. Its old, its overly ornate... I *should* be moved... but I am not. What ever it is, I'm not convinced that it was meant to be played. In addition to the goofy peg-head, just look at the distance between the rose and the bridge...
Although... with that back it probably wouldn't slip off the lap... the dried blood would hold it in place... :-)
Eric
ps - And sorry, this has *nothing* to do with Stradivari! (various... yes, Stradivarius... no)
mandolooter
May-17-2005, 9:35pm
things that make ya go hummmmmm
thats one of em!