The Cithrinchen or Bell cittern was a distinctively shaped instrument of the

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and

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periods. It was usually strung with doubled courses of thin, light tension brass or steel strings. It usually had 3 soundholes (with decorative roses) and 5 (or sometimes 6 or more) courses (pairs) of strings. It was popular in

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. Most such instruments built nowadays are reconstructions of historical instruments, or modern mandolin-type instruments which simply use the same body shape as the historical Cithrinchen.

Gallery

Image:Cittern MET DP163299.jpg, Cithrinchen in the Met Museum, New York, USA. Image:Cithrinchen BNM Mu 13.jpg, Cithrinchen in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, Germany Image:Cittern (Hamburger Cithrinchen), view 1, Hamburg, late 1600s - Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Nuremberg, Germany - DSC03285.jpg, Cithrinchen in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Nuremberg, Germany, front view Image:Cittern (Hamburger Cithrinchen), view 2, Hamburg, late 1600s - Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Nuremberg, Germany - DSC03286.jpg, Cithrinchen in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Nuremberg, Germany, rear view

References

{{reflist Early musical instruments String instruments