CHAPTER 3: History to 1800 > Early Renaissance - 15th century
Illustrations - 3 of 15
fig.17:
from an Italian ms, c.1490, |
An important point about the Milan instrument in fig.17 is that it is clearly shown to have battens running along the underside, suggesting that the body consisted of no more than a plank - or perhaps two planks together: such instruments do not have a great resonance themselves, of course, but when placed on a table, the battens ensure an air cavity between the instrument and the table, and the resulting volume can be as great as is produced using a box construction. Similar techniques have been used in members of the Appalchian dulcimer family discussed in Supplement 2 and occasionally on other dulcimers; note that a plank construction does not prevent decorated roses being included in the top.
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