Tenor viola, Hendrik Aerninck, 1677
wood (plant material), h 77.0cm More details
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the violin family included a variety of formats. Throughout the 18th century, it settled into the three types of violin, viola, and cello that constitute the string quartet. The instrument displayed here is a special tenor viola model, thus larger than the alto viola commonly used today. It also features a short end pin, allowing it to be played vertically, akin to the cello.
