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Vihuela diagram

(1557) - Venegas de Henestrosa, Libro de cifras...
instrument: vihuela de mano | century: 16cent/2/mid | catalogue nº: 16-210

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Artwork

Creator Venegas de Henestrosa, Luis

Medium Artwork: Woodcut

Location

City Alcalá de Henares | Region Madrid | Old kingdom Castile

Characteristics
Body Waisted Strings 6 strings Neck Medium Pegbox Angled flat
Bridge Obscured Frets Yes Back Flat Pegs None
Technique None
Commentary

In his Libro de cifra nueva, Venegas de Henestrosa includes this woodcut of the upper half of a vihuela for the primary purpose of showing the location of the notes in relation to the numerical system of the “cifra nueva” that he was seeking to promote. The notes indcated show it to be a vihuela in E. The part of the vihuela that is visible, albeit stylised, is consistent with mid-century vihuelas in shape, the placement of taraceas in the soundboard and the soundhole, the fingerboard that joins the body at the tenth fret, and the profile of the pegbox that is without pegs but clearly with 12 holes

Reproductions

Bibliography