Makers of early guitars and vihuelas around the world are familiar with the Belchior Dias 1581 vihuela**, from the collection of the Royal College of Music (London), not only through its illustrations found in reference books but also through its drawing. This last has been in circulation since 1976 and is still available from the collection. Being the only comprehensive item of documentation for this unique instrument, it is important that the drawing is adequately informative and precise in all the details it purports to convey. However, upon close examination of the original Dias vihuela, it does become obvious that this is not the case.
Listed below are a number of corrections to the drawing, including some features that are totally missing, as well as those that rather inadequately represent the evidence of the original constructional features of the instrument***. Most of the accompanying thoughts and considerations have arisen as a result of preparatory work shortly before making my first replica of the Dias vihuela in June 2004. They also incorporate some recent findings of my ongoing research into the historical aspects of guitar and vihuela construction that appear to be well in line with the original features of the Dias vihuela. I hope this information will be of the benefit to all who have acquired the drawing, either for research purposes or in attempting to reconstruct an accurate replica of this important historical instrument.
* This work would not be possible without generous assistance of the current curator of the RCM collection Jenny Nex. My heartfelt thanks to her!
** This instrument was and still is commonly referred to as a guitar, including in the recently published catalogue of the RCM collection of instruments (see: Elizabeth Wells, Christopher Nobbs: European Stringed Instruments, Royal College of Music, Museum of Instruments, Catalogue Part III, London: Royal College of Music, 2007). Apart from some broad speculations on possible previous owners of the Dias ‘guitar’, the entry on the instrument contains nothing new but a couple of statements which can not be taken seriously from organological point of view – if one is to believe that the authors (and / or their consultants) of the catalogue of such important collection and organisation as the Royal College of Music are knowledgeable in organology.
*** By a way of a disclaimer, the present publication is not in any way intended as criticism of the drawing. Its main and only purpose is in revealing and exploring the evidence to be found in the Dias vihuela. The drawing of such an important historical instrument as the Dias vihuela should really be the result of collaborative work of a team of dedicated professionals. This would allow proper discourse on the instrument’s various features before they are rendered on the drawing, and which would, in turn, greatly minimise the rather subjective approach of one individual.
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