The Cithrinchen or Bell cittern was a distinctively shaped instrument of the renaissance and baroque periods. It was usually strung with doubled courses of thin, light tension brass or steel strings. It usually had 3 soundholes (with decorative roses) and 5 (or sometimes 6 or more) courses (pairs) of strings. It was popular in Germany, England and Sweden. [1][2][3][4][5]
 Cithrinchen or Bell cittern by Joachim Tielke in the V&A Museum, London, UK. | |
| String instrument | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Bell cittern, Citrinchen, Hamburger cithrinchen |
| Related instruments | |
Most such instruments built nowadays are reconstructions of historical instruments, or modern mandolin-type instruments which simply use the same body shape as the historical Cithrinchen.
Gallery
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Cithrinchen in the Met Museum, New York, USA. -
Cithrinchen in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, Germany -
Cithrinchen in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Nuremberg, Germany, front view -
Cithrinchen in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum - Nuremberg, Germany, rear view
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,_view_2,_Hamburg,_late_1600s_-_Germanisches_Nationalmuseum_-_Nuremberg,_Germany_-_DSC03286.jpg)