HURDY-GURDY CAILHE – DECANTE & FILS in CHARROUX, 19th century

Jean-Baptiste CAILHE (1835-1919 and Jacques DECANTE (1808-1884)

Henri CAILHE (1864 – …)

Jacques Decante, hurdy-gurdy maker in Jenzat, joins forces with his son-in-law Jean-Baptiste Cailhe, who himself takes on his son Antoine-François-Henri as his partner.

Body formed of nine alternating ribs in maple and rosewood inlaid with floral motifs.

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Spruce top edged with ebony and ivory marquetry and engraved mother-of-pearl inlays. Decorated with geometric patterns colored with cochineal carmine.

Peghead carved with a crowned king’s head. Six ivory pegs decorated with concentric ebony circles.

Keyboard composed of ebony keys and ivory semitones decorated with concentric ebony circles.

Sympathetic strings, tuned by ivory pegs attached to the top of a sculpted king’s head at the end of the first rib.

This exhibition instrument was played by Mr. Chanudet, a musician at Pionsat (Puy-de-Dôme).