Pochette

Pochette

<< >>
Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description

This pochette was made by an unknown maker, provenance unknown, late 18th century. It is a composite instrument with a one-piece table of one-piece spruce, body of gourd, maple neck and repaired pegbox, and yellow-brown varnish

This object is composed of unrelated fragments and does not appear to have ever functioned as a musical instrument in this form. The flat table with stylized S-holes is fitted to a body made from a gourd. The neck is terminated in a repaired pegbox with missing head. Acquired from the collection of Leopoldo Franciolini in 1892.

Leopoldo Franciolini (1844–1920) was an Italian antique dealer who flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is remembered as a fraudster who sold faked and altered historical musical instruments.

Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
pochette
Date made
late 18th century
Physical Description
spruce (overall material)
gourd (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 3 3/8 in x 17 3/8 in x 3 9/16 in; 8.5725 cm x 44.1325 cm x 9.04875 cm
ID Number
MI.095293
accession number
26256
catalog number
095293
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
Music & Musical Instruments
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.