This 7/7 Viola d’amore has a string length of 37cm and a body length of 39.5cm.
The carved head depicts ‘The Morrigan’, a goddess from Irish mythology who often appears as a crow in battle.
Further decoration includes a Rosette in the soundboard made from three layers of Calf Vellum glued together and then gilded, and a applique ornament applied to the back.
The head and neck are carved from Maple, the back and sides are from Cherry and the soundboard is carved from Spruce.
The back includes a second ‘break’ down at the bottom end which reduces the rib height to make holding easier.
The tuning pegs are turned from Ebony with bone pips and the instrument is finished with a Linseed Oil and Pine Resin Varnish, adding a golden colour whilst protecting the wood.
This Viola d’amore was initially set-up for modern playing with synthetic core wound strings and steel sympathetics, but has been built to be able to easily convert to gut strings for historical repertoire.
Photos by Gareth Hacker, London.
