Cithrinchen

Cithrinchen by Joachim Tielke, Hamburg, Germany 1688.
Courtesy of Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg

The “Cithrinchen” is a plucked string instrument, similar to the lute. It comes from the workshop of Joachim Tielke, a Hamburg instrument maker, and has more to offer than just the beautiful sound. The intricate ivory inlays depict Diana, the (Roman) goddess of the hunt, on the back. Arabesques wind around the body and neck of the fragile instrument.