Cetera or Cither, Hipkins’ Historic Musical Instruments lithograph c1888

$90.00

Antique print of early 16th century Guitar, called Cetera (Italian), Cither (English), or Cistre (French). A guitar because of its flat backm, it has wire strings, and is played with a pletrum. Enlargement of the beautifully-carved embellishment of the rose in the sound-hole, the peg-box carving of a woman's head and body with a lizard tail serving as a handle for holding the instrument, on the peg-box, a mermaid below the finger-board, and two more mermaids carved in the back.

Original colour-printed lithograph by William Gibb for the first edition of “Musical Instruments – Historic, Rare and Unique” by Alfred James Hipkins (1826-1903), published in Edinburgh, circa 1888 by Adam and Charles Black. Gibb's lithographs for the first edition of Hipkins' work are considered to be the finest illustrations of musical instruments ever done.

Although from a decommissioned library edition, the conservation framing presentation of this image is not marred by the library stamp. Page size: 405 x 295mm (approximately 16 x11.5 inches). Lithograph size: 320 x 210mm (approx. 11.5 x 8.25 inches).