vielle a roue

wheel viol

hurdy-gurdy, string instrument of traditional design and embellishment, bowed mechanically, a set of melody and drone strings, a resin coated wooden wheel which acts as a bow, and a keyboard with tangents that bear on the strings when depressed, carved female head at the top of the instrument, ebony and ivory upper purfling decoration and keys, ebony box lid with ivory catch, wooden pegs with ivory top stud, ivory bridge catches, ivory handle at base on metal wheel handle, tuned to D and mouche tuned to six, bridge is centred back to hold it from being pulled, trompete string (gut)

1 hurdy-gurdy

maker unknown, [Mirecourt, France], late 18th century

maple, fruitwoods [pearwood], ivory, ebony, 704 x 276 x 246 mm

1998.60.134 Castle 208

The hurdy-gurdy or wheel viol can be described as a mechanical fiddle.

Instead of a bow, the hurdy-gurdy is fitted with a wooden wheel set into the body which passes through a slot on the belly. The wheel is turned by the handle fitted to the end of the body. The melody strings are stopped by tangents which are pressed against them by a keyboard arrangement. There are also drone strings which play a continuous and unchanging accompaniment.

The Castles attributed the hurdy-gurdy to Pierre Louvet, Paris and dated it around 1770 - 90.

208 (Castle)

13954 (Asset Register)

Applied Arts and Design