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The golden age of the Neapolitan lutherie (1750–1800): new insights on the varnishes and decorations of ten historic mandolins

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Abstract

This paper reports the results of several scientific analyses carried out on ten mandolins made in the second half of the eighteenth century by the most important Neapolitan mandolin manufacturers such as the Filano, Fabricatore, Gagliano and Vinaccia families. Various elements of decoration were characterized for each mandolin: the resins of the sound hole decorations, the black wood strips of the purflings, the varnishes and the glues. Thanks to microscopy observations SEM-EDX, µFT-IR and µRaman analysis, a multi-technique approach was used in order to fully characterize and compare some of the decoration-making techniques peculiar of each family of makers. Shellac was the main organic material used both in the sound hole decorations and in the varnishes. Inorganic fillers such as aluminosilicates, particles of iron oxides/hydroxides and microfossils of diatoms were found within the false inlays. Black iron-based dyes were identified as dyes for the black wood strips of the purflings.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the directors of the Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali of Rome and the Soprintendenza del Polo Museale della città di Roma for their assistance and the logistics provided during the analytic campaign. A special thanks to Dr. Massimiliano Rocchia (Thermo Fisher Scientific) for Raman analyses and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio Arvedi di analisi diagnostiche non invasive, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Museo del Violino, via Bell’Aspa 3, 26100, Cremona, Italy

    T. Rovetta, M. Licchelli & M. Malagodi

  2. Civica Scuola di Liuteria di Milano, via Noto 4, 20141, Milan, Italy

    C. Canevari

  3. Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro di Roma, via di San Michele 23, 00153, Rome, Italy

    L. Festa

  4. Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Pavia, via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    M. Licchelli & M. Malagodi

  5. Microchemistry and Microscopy Art Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Bologna, Via Guaccimanni 42, 48100, Ravenna, Italy

    S. Prati

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  1. T. Rovetta
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  2. C. Canevari
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  3. L. Festa
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  4. M. Licchelli
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  6. M. Malagodi
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Correspondence to T. Rovetta.

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Rovetta, T., Canevari, C., Festa, L. et al. The golden age of the Neapolitan lutherie (1750–1800): new insights on the varnishes and decorations of ten historic mandolins. Appl. Phys. A 118, 7–16 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-014-8882-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-014-8882-5

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