A rosette (from
French, meaning ''little rose''), rose, or knot, in the context of
musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
s, is a form of
soundhole
A sound hole is an opening in the body of a stringed musical instrument, usually the upper sound board.
Sound holes have different shapes:
* round in flat-top guitars and traditional bowl-back mandolins;
* F-holes in instruments from the vio ...
decoration. The name originated during the medieval period, as a comparison with church windows which were called
rose window
Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window ...
s. On the
oud
, image=File:oud2.jpg
, image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921
, background=
, classification=
*String instruments
* Necked bowl lutes
, hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum
...
they are called by the
Arabic language
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
term shams, meaning ''sun''.
History
From the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
to the
baroque periods, it was common to have ornately carved soundhole designs, called roses. These were either carved directly into the wood of the soundboard or inserted from behind and made of carved wood or parchment. The designs used for
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can re ...
s and other early instruments were often inspired by the geometric patterns in
Islamic art
Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide r ...
, probably from those used on the oud. During the medieval period, most such designs were 4-sided, whereas during the renaissance and baroque periods, 6-sided designs were used.
Image:Stradivarius Guitar - 1700, rosette 1, National Music Museum, Vermillion.jpg, Baroque guitar
The Baroque guitar (c. 1600–1750) is a string instrument with five courses of gut strings and moveable gut frets. The first (highest pitched) course sometimes used only a single string.
History
The Baroque guitar replaced the Renaissance lute ...
soundhole with inserted wooden rose and inlaid rosette (1700).
Image:Mandora MET DP168840.jpg, A carved rose on a mandora
File:Mandora MET DP168838.jpg, 6~9 courses lute (Calchedon, Calichon) (1726)Georg Kinsky: Musikhistorisches Museum von Wilhelm Heyer in Cöln, Bd. 2, Köln 1912, S. 98.
File:Gallichon, Muzeum Instrumentów Muzycznych w Pradze.jpg, Gallichon
The ...
from 1726.
Image:Guitar MET DP232761.jpg, Baroque guitar soundhole with multi-layered parchment rose from behind, surrounded by inlaid rosette (1630).
Image:Mandoline MET MIDP89.4.1066 rose.jpg, Baroque mandolin with inserted rose made from ivory.
Modern usage
During the
romantic
Romantic may refer to:
Genres and eras
* The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries
** Romantic music, of that era
** Romantic poetry, of that era
** Romanticism in science, of that e ...
and
classical periods in western music, the carved ornate soundhole roses went out of fashion and were replaced by open soundholes surrounded by inlaid decoration, commonly called rosettes. This style is still used today on
classical and acoustic guitars. Modern rosettes can be made of wood or plastic. Roses inserted from behind are still used on Ouds,
Lavta
The lavta is a plucked string music instrument from Istanbul.
Description
The Lavta has a small body made of many ribs made using carvel bending technique. Its appearance is somewhat like a small (Turkish) oud - the strings are made from gut ...
s,
Laouto
The laouto ( el, λαούτο, pl. laouta ) is a long-neck fretted instrument of the lute family, found in Greece and Cyprus, and similar in appearance to the oud. It has four double-strings. It is played in most respects like the oud (plucked w ...
s and other modern lutes. Decorative inserted roses are also sometimes used in modern times on electro-acoustic instruments, to prevent feedback.
bouzouki
The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...
with inlaid rosette and scratch plate.
References
{{Renaissance music
String instrument construction
Guitar parts and accessories
Lutes