Pochette (Dancing Master's Fiddle) - Image 1

Pochettes (pocket-sized fiddles) were typically played by the dancing masters employed to teach aristocratic children the latest steps. Their diminutive size made them extremely portable--often small enough to fit into the pocket of the dancing master's jacket, hence the instrument's French name, pochette. Often made with expensive materials, this particular pochette features a one-piece ebony back, neck, pegbox, and finial. Twisted silver-wire trim is inlaid into the ebony for decoration. A tiny heart is carved into the spruce belly just below the fingerboard and above the C-shaped soundholes. The pegs, tailpiece, and bridge on this instrument are later replacements.