maker unknown, European, 19th century

maple, spruce, mahogany, fruitwood, ebony, bone, gut, length of back 415 mm

1998.60.9.1 Castle 12

viola d’amore bow

Arnold Dolmetsch workshop, Haslemere, Surrey, England, circa 1935 - 40

pernambuco, ebony, maple, bone, overall length 713 mm, weight 51.4g

1998.60.9.2 Castle 12

Ronald Castle wrote ‘[this viola d’amore is] perhaps my favourite of the bowed instruments in our collection’.

The viola d’amore (a viol with seven fingered strings) is distinguished by a second set of sympathetic strings that pass untouched beneath the fingerboard and vibrate sympathetically when the instrument is played.

This instrument was once owned and played by Arnold Dolmetsch, and the Dolmetsch-made out-curved bow was ordered along with the instrument.