nouveau #10

“Spinning Arachnid”

"Like our L’Image-themed instrument, the glass selected to theme this instrument was not signed but was still selected for its beauty and uniqueness.  The yellow-green glass of swirling brown lines and blue stripes suspended over gold-leaf inspires the startling fingerboard image - a pearl web, abalone arachnid, coloured bone green leaf and orange berries.  The spider was also a favoured image for Nouveau for its indefatigable spinning and weaving.  Like the serpent, its image is significant to many cultures’ mythologies - Asian, Greek, West African, and Indo-European."

 

Paul Schmidt

 

DESIGN & WORK

woods and materials
woods and materials

"The swirling threads in the glass are reiterated in the web-like dark brown and black spalting in the Maple.  The shaping of the spalted Maple and Koa is also inspired by the motion in the glass.  The brilliant candy red pickups are bolstered by the lipstick red Catalin knobs and switch in bringing an intensity to the instrument’s personality.  Note the fine tracing lines of red surrounding all of the various wood shapes, setting them off with subtlety and vigour.  The bridge is Amazon Rosewood and weds nicely with the colour and texture of the Koa.  An exuberant instrument."

 

 

 

Paul Schmidt

  


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