Name/Title
LuteEntry/Object ID
2004.6.5Description
Description: Lute:
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either fretted or unfretted) and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes.
The European lute and the modern Near-Eastern oud both descend from a common ancestor via diverging evolutionary paths. The lute is used in a great variety of instrumental music from the Medieval to the late Baroque eras and was probably the most important instrument for secular music in the Renaissance. It is also an accompanying instrument, especially in vocal works.
The lute's strings are arranged in courses, of two strings each, though the highest-pitched course usually consists of only a single string. In later Baroque lutes, two upper courses are single. Thus, an 8-course Renaissance lute will usually have 15 strings, and a 13-course Baroque lute will have 24. Our lute, as received, has space for 12 strings, but is arranged in four courses of 1, 2, 3, 2 strings, respectively.
While the make of our lute is currently unknown, a faded label inside states "Kleber & Bro". In 1845, Henry Kleber (1816-1897) - with his brother, Augustus Kleber - established the firm of H. Kleber & Bro. in Pittsburg, PA. An advertising flyer touts it as the "Largest Music House in the West". This places a possible lower limit on the age of our lute. A newer label reading "American Conservator" indicates probable restoration work.Collection
Suomynona CollectionDimensions
Width
7-7/8 inDepth
5-13/16 inLength
25 inLocation
Location
Container
RightDrawer
BottomShelf
RightCabinet
F5Wall
NorthBuilding
Founders RoomCategory
Permanent
