Decoration
Many of the
instruments from the XVI,
XVII and XVII centuries that have survived up today are profusely
decorated. This does not
mean
all the
instruments were so luxurious then, as we can see in the iconography.
There are
many ways to decorate the instruments and below we can see some
examples.
In
the viols,
one of the most familiar motifs is the representation of a human head
at the
end of the pegbox.
These are carvings
based on French models
of the XVIII.
The use of a scroll was also very
common, as much in
English
instruments, as French or German ones.
This head, like
the
scrolls underneath, are based on decoration from English
instruments.
It was also very
common the combination of
different colored woods and
the inlays in form from simple or double purfling or making
figures and
knots.
Some viols even had carved or inlaid roses on the
soundboard.
