BRESCIAN VIOLA DA GAMBA
During the 16th century the style of playing different sizes of viola da gamba in consort developed; treble, tenor and bass being the usual combination. There was no standard shape for the body but the guitar form was widely used.

The design of this chest of viols is based on a soprano/treble viol made by Giovanni Maria of Brescia in Venice between 1500 and 1525, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. The fronts, with C-shaped soundholes, are carved into a shallow arch with two crossbars on the underside of the soundboard. A single line of purfling graces the fronts and backs. The backs, ribs and arms are in figured maple, and the fingerboard and tailpieces are veneered with ebony or blackwood and purfled. The tailpieces are fixed with buttons. The scrolls are flat sided with a single flute at the front merging into a triple flute at the back.

See below for specifications table.