Guitar 1667 - 1700

This is a guitar made by Giacomo Ertel, an Italian instrument maker, around the late 17th or early 18th century. Ertel crafted this guitar at a time when Italy was a hub for artistic innovation and a center for the development of musical instruments. Musical instruments in the Baroque period were more than functional tools, they were often symbols of wealth, status and cultural sophistication. The guitar's elaborate ornamentation speaks to the tastes of the aristocracy and its association with courtly life and refined artistic expression. The guitar is adorned with delicate inlays of mother-of-pearl, ivory, and ebony, all materials valued for their beauty and rarity. These materials reflect global trade routes and colonial power structures of the time. Think about the places these materials came from and the hands that labored to obtain them. The guitar's design and craftsmanship is a dialogue between Italian artistry and the world. It is a reflection of the interconnectedness of cultures and economies during the Baroque era.