Help identify

[redraver]

Anyone help please, I bought this today in an antique shop because it looks like a mandolin.
As you can see it has only three pairs of strings I have not met up with this before.
It seems to be the same generation of full Italian mandolin which I have had since the nineteen fifties eg the external fittings are identical.
It is small, measures 53cm long, 13cm across the base and it's roundback is 9cm deep.
Label near keys is from a long gone music shop (shop was called "Nani" in Valletta, Malta where I live)
Label inside gives a Catania Italy telephone number and the words,
Liuteria Artigianale, Avorazio A Mano, Ditta Gaetano Miroglio.
I think the last name refers to the maker / an artist of the instrument?
Would be grateful for any info, hope to get it restringed and playing soon.
Thanks for looking.

[Jake Wildwood]

It's called a baglama in Greece, where it's sort of like a mandolin-sized version of a three-course Greek bouzouki.

Don't be confused with the baglama saz of Turkish/middle-eastern origin, though.

[redraver]

Many thanks Mr Jake, knowing what it's called has enabled www info to be found.
I am not a great musician but guess I can put some of my spare mandolin strings on it for the moment and get my wife to tune it to D-A-D
Thanks again,
Dave.

[brunello97]

Redraver, do you think you might be able to post a photo of the label?

I have a few images in my files of mandolins built by Vincenzo Miroglio e Figlio, from Catania. I am wondering if Gaetano Miroglio might be the son, or perhaps another Miroglio all together?

thanks,

Mick

[redraver]

Thanks Mick, will try to poke lens inside and get back to you,
dave

[redraver]

Mick, gave up but as it is not nice label like yours - just a plain white label, probably no point.
It says

Liuteria Artidianale
Lavorazione A Mano
Ditta Gaetano Miroglio
Via Consolazione, One, 60 Catania.

(Have a mandolin with a label similar style to yours by Ermelinda Silvestri
Catania) I know this is around 55 years old. This mandolin has exactly the same chrome string cover plate at it's base as the instrument in question.
Dave

[brunello97]

Dave, does this resemble your Silvestri label?

Mick

[redraver]

Mick ,
Mandolin label attached
Dave