Page 59 - The Strad (February 2020)

time in France. e bass of 1691 has painted and gilded lines
in lieu of pur ing ( gure 7).

SOUNDPOST PLATE
Collichon’s soundpost plates are always narrow. In three of his
basses (1683, 1693 and the ‘Plan de Paris’) the plate is c.60mm
wide. e bevelling on the long sides is almost non-existent, a
necessary precaution as the plate/bridge relationship can place the
soundpost precariously close to the plate edge. e ends of the
plate are bevelled at a much lower angle and in some instruments
are positioned ush with the ribs ( gure 8).

BOTTOM-BLOCK FIGURE 8 3<2&639; 6£!;'9 -2 ;,' #!99 =-3£9 3( ¤¥ l£'đm !2& ¤ l8-+,;m
Collichon has a distinctive style of bottom-block shape. In most
cases the blocks are rectangular in cross section with wide bevels
removed from the inner corners. In the 1683 instrument the
grain lines are parallel to the rib line. A typical bottom-block
can be seen in both the 1683 and the 1691 viols ( gure 9).
e bevels in both cases look as if they have been cut in situ,
with the bold upward sweep of a knife. ere has been some
damage to the rib in the 1683 where the knife has made
contact. In both cases illustrated here, the blocks are made
of spruce, but that of the 1693 viol is made from cedrela.
FIGURE 9 3ħ31f#£3$09 3( ;,' 9!1' ;>3 =-3£9 !9 -2
-+<8' ¥
INTERNAL REINFORCEMENT
In three of his viols, namely 1683, 1689 and the ‘Plan de Paris’, the
back break is reinforced using shaped cleats that are ˆtted across the
angle of the break ( gure 10). Reinforcement is provided by linen
strips, cut and ˆtted between each one. is technique of using
wooden cleats to reinforce the break is, to my knowledge, unique
to Collichon. As previously mentioned, the rib/back and corner
joints are reinforced with parchment and/or linen. e parchment
reinforcement in many cases shows red- and black-coloured script,
as can be seen on the 1686 pardessus and the 1687 and 1691 viols
( gure 11). e ribs are constantly ˆnished using a plane with a
toothed blade, the interior surface retaining the tell-tale scoring, a
feature not unique to Collichon but visible on many of his viols.
e interior of the ribs on the cedrela viols show what appear
to be burn marks. In fact, this blackening is caused by a reaction
between the wood and a ferrous metal when water and heat are
FIGURE 10 ,!6'& $£'!;9 !8' <9'& ;3 8'-2(38$' ;,' #!$0 #8'!0 -2 ;,' ¤¥ =-3£
introduced, most likely the result of the bending process.
Collichon’s upper linings are left square and unshaped. ere is
TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM PHOTOS JOHN TOPHAM. ALL OTHER PHOTOS SEHEM MACKEY
no attempt made to trim the lower edge, as can clearly be seen in a
number of his viols but particularly visible in the 1683 instrument.
VARNISH
e varnish on Collichon’s instruments tends to be thinly
applied and is spirit based. Generally it is golden brown in
colour, although the cedrela viols have a reddish hue. e 1693
instrument is the exception, in that it has a rather odd greenish
tint to the varnish. FIGURE 11 !8$,1'2; 8'-2(38$'1'2; 9''2 -2 ;,' ¤ -29;8<1'2;

n spite of the fact that only ten instruments by Collichon great credit to the museum curators that they decided not to
have apparently survived, it is something of a miracle that intervene or reassemble the instrument. e 1693 viol is equally
Ithe ones we have are largely in such original condition. e valuable as it retains its original nut, pegs and tailpiece. With so
1683 viol, for instance, has long been in the care of the Museé many examples of Collichon’s original construction methods,
de la Musique in Paris; and even though it has su”ered severe it is possible to get an idea of this unique and fascinating maker,
worm damage and is in a partly disassembled state, it is of huge whose work is still an inspiration to the generations of four
value because of its preservation as a historical object. It is of centuries later.

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