jdowning
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 8-2-2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
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18th C Egyptian Oud
I came across these two images of an 18th C seven course Egyptian oud and its case in my files so thought forum members might be interested in seeing
them.
They are engravings from the massive and historically important 10 volume work "Description de l'Egypt" commissioned and published by Napoleon
Bonaparte in Paris in 1802 which includes over 3000 engravings covering all aspects of Egyptian life, flora and fauna recorded during the failed
military campaign to Egypt in the 18th C.
If anyone is interested there are 9 volumes of the original set for sale through AddALL books for $65,000 US - a bargain at only a tenth of the cost
of a gold plated oud!
http://used.addall.com
However, a modern reprint of the book containing all of the original engravings can be purchased from used book sellers on line for much more
reasonable cost. A beautiful book and a worthwhile purchase for all of those interested in the history of Egypt. ISBN 3-8228-8964-4
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Hosam
Oud Junkie
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Thanks for sharing this with us. Notice the straight pegbox. I was wondering when the (new!) curved pegbox shape started to evolve.
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
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Registered: 8-2-2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
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That is a very interesting question Hosam that is going to be difficult to answer unless examination of early arabic scripts and illustrations can
provide some clues. I am in no position to do this research as - sadly - I cannot read Arabic.
What I can say is that the lute in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries only had flat pegboxes like the 18th C oud above. The only exception to
my knowledge is the tiny, fretted, lute like instrument known as the mandola or mandolino in Italy. These typically had a string length of around 30
cm and were played either with a plectrum (like an oud) or fingerstyle (like a lute). Unlike the lute the pegboxes of these instruments by the 17th C
and into the 18th C were curved similar to those of modern ouds but - unlike the oud and lute - set in line with the neck rather than set back at an
angle. The pegbox to neck joint is notched similar to that of the oud.
(Just to confuse matters, this instrument in France was known as a mandore which - according to Mersenne in the early 17th C - had flat pegboxes set
back at an angle to the neck like a lute).
It is thought that these instruments - although lute like in appearance - were actually derived from mediaeval gitterns which also had curved 'inline'
pegboxes.
Here, for information, are a couple of images showing an Italian
18th C mandola/mandolino by Michel Angelo Bergonzi and an early 20th C oud pegbox set alongside a full sized sketch of a mandola pegbox for
comparison.
Another 17th C European lute like instrument with curved mandola like pegbox that I have come across is the Colascione which is a long necked lute
obviously with Arabic origins like the lute itself.
So did all of the early ouds prior to, say, the 19th C have flat pegboxes with the curved design being later introduced from Europe or were there
regional design differences dating back through the centuries with some ouds having flat pegboxes and others curved? I would tend to favour the latter
theory.
I have a bit more information about authentic lute/oud cases and how I have made copies of them in the past that may be of interest but will cover
this as a separate thread in the Oud Project Forum later on.
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