Renaissance Lute after Venere
58 - 60cm, 6-8 courses; after VVendelio Venere 1592 (Bologna Academia Filarmonica) 25 ribs: the original is in heartwood yew with maple strips between. Neck and pegbox striped with three different woods, ebony heart in the soundboard and a very pretty rose.
This is a fairly accurate copy of the 7 course original in the original woods. The rather bright red bass strings are my own lead oxide loaded gut strings; several paintings show such coloured strings and they do work, but these are poisonous and although probably fairly authentic I would recommend people wanting loaded strings to buy non-poisonous versions from Mimmo Peruffo!
In fact I strongly suspect that the original red loaded strings were made using mercuric sulphide [cinnabar or vermilion as it is known to painters] This was used a lot in the renaissance before it was realised how deadly poisonous it is; the Spanish royal court even had mercury fountains! So poisonous is mercury [it is absorbed readily through the skin] that even I did not dare try it out.
Price, including case: £2660
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