CITOLE
This medieval instrument is thought to have been the fore-runner of the Cittern. It was one of the instruments an accomplished minstrel was expected to play, and it appeared in festivities in the courts of Edward I and Edward III, eventually losing its status to the Lute by the early 15th century when it is frequently named in conjunction with the Psaltery.
The Citole illustrated is based on the sculpture by Benedetto Antelami in the Parma Baptistry, dated late 12th or early 13th century. The ribs, back and neck are formed from one piece of sycamore. It has a flat back, and the front has a pierced rose. The lacewood inset forming the fingerboard is flush with the neck and front, and the arrangement of the frets gives a diatonic scale. There are four metal strings which are played with the fingers or a plectrum. The fittings are in ebony and boxwood.
SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 550mm
Width: 200mm
Depth: 50mm
String length: 360mm
Re-entrant tuning: e' d' g" a"