Name of Instrument: zither

Maker / Brand: (through Franciolini)

Stearns Catalog #: 1382

Country of Origin: Italy?

Region of Origin: Europe

Instrument Category: Chordophone

Date of Fabrication: 19th C.

Location: CHO R 1

Description: This instrument comes to the Stearns Collection from a highly questionable source--Leopoldo Franciolini. Many Franciolini instruments are forgeries or interesting hybrids of original instruments and scrap wood. In the case of this Zither, the table is made of spruce with two circular sound holes. The sound holes have rosettes of six-pointed stars cut from parchment, both ringed by a band of pearl designs set into shellac. The fingerboard is does not have any frets and it is glued to the extreme right side. There are thirteen strings; four strings are stopped, nine are open. The instrument is irreparably damaged (cracks, water damage, and worm holes).

Research: Dr. Bruce Mitchell Smith and Stearns Staff