Vielle à Roue (Hurdy-Gurdy)
Medium
Wood; mother-of-pearl inlay
Classification
Musical Instrument
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Clara Taplin Rankin
Accession Number
2020.422
About this artwork
In France, the hurdy-gurdy is known as the vielle à roue (wheel fiddle). This six-stringed musical instrument produces sound by a hand crank-turned wheel that rubs against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses small wedges against the strings to change their pitch.