Hurdy-gurdy

The hurdy-gurdy produces sound by a crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings like the bow of a violin. Different notes are obtained when the keys push the tangents against the strings. Conceived in the Middle Ages and long identified in Europe as a typical instrument of beggars, the hurdy-gurdy was introduced to French aristocratic society when the pastoral trend spread in the 1600s, becoming a genuine status symbol of nobility in the 18th century. This specimen, which has two strings for the tune and four for the bourdon, is elegantly inlaid with ebony and bone along the edge of the sound board, and enriched by an engraved lion’s head. It is a clear example of high quality French craftsmanship of the 1700s-1800s.