321.322

Machete de braga. The one-piece back and ribs are of rosewood and take the shape of a miniature guitar. The belly is of pine, edged with barber's pole decoration in three colours with an inlaid sunburst around the soundhole. The neck is ebonised, and 4 pegs are inserted from the rear of the figure-of-eight-shaped head. Length of back 8 13/16 inches. Labelled: 'Por/JACINTO R SALDENHA/Madeira.'
Tune books and one sheet of music which were found with the machete are in the archive and catalogued under ARC/HMG/CM/007/C/MACHETEDEBRAGA.(aka M55a-1982 and M55b-1982)
overall: 505 x 135 x 85 mm;

Preserved with the instrument are a case, a tutor book, a book of duets for machetes and three collections of songs and dances. These are all handwritten and inscribed: 'Para o uso do Illmo Sr James Duff Gordon'. They are all dated in Madeira and cover the period between the 20th of May and the 13th of June, 1843 (M55a-1982 and M55b-1982).

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
M55-1982
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall length: 505 mm; sounding length: 224 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
wood; mother of pearl; ivory; gut; paint
CATEGORY
Musical Instruments
LOCATION
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