Lute
Unknown Artist
mid-16th century
Medium
Maple, spruce, ebony
Dimensions
Widest 32.2 x Deepest 17.4 x L. 81.5cm (12 11/16 x 6 7/8 x 32 1/16in.)
Classification
Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
Culture
Probably Austrian
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.1008
Art Historical Context
Step into the Renaissance with this exquisite mid-16th-century, likely crafted in Austria. Measuring about 81.5 cm long, with a widest point of 32.2 cm and depth of 17.4 cm, this chordophone—specifically a plucked, fretted lute—exemplifies the refined instrument-making of its era. Fashioned from maple for the body, spruce for the resonant soundboard, and eb for durable accents like the fingerboard, its materials were chosen for both acoustic excellence and aesthetic appeal. Spruce vibrates freely to produce the lute's signature warm, mellow tones, while maple and ebony add strength and eleganc...