Brief history & description

The sultana or cither-viol was an 18th century bowed, wire-strung viol or violin of either five or six double-strung courses.  During the 18th century it went by several names, including the grouping of similar names psaltery, salterio, salitero, saliterous, and salter — not to be confused with the plucked or hammered dulcimer-type instrument of the same name(s). Some scholars consider it to be a relative of the viola d'amore (Note 1), though there are also connections to the wire-strung English guittar. Though a handful of instruments survive, only a very small number exist in private collections, the vast majority being held by museums.

While the invention of the sultana has been variously attributed to Thomas Perry in the 1760s or possibly even John Frederick Hinz (Hintz) in the 1750s (Note 2), it should be noted that the concept of a bowed, wire-strung viol-family dates back to at least the beginning of the 17th century, as can be seen from the title of a publication regarding the invention of a "violin cither" by Michael Vreedman (Note 3).

Tunings / string arrangement

Though the exact tuning of the sultana is not mentioned directly in any surviving sources, some suggested tunings for the smaller (~35 cm mensur) instrument have been proposed:

• g–c'–e'–g'–d", a modification of of the tuning for English guittar (Grove)

• a–d'–f#'–a'–d", based on the tuning of the viola d'amore and a surviving piece, "Concerto per Salterio," which is possibly for the bowed sultana. (Poulopoulos & Durkin, 2016). 

Other tunings were certainly possible.

All strings are paired. Although octave stringing was not used on the 18th century guittar, we do not know whether it was used on the sultana.

String material

Based on the surviving sizes and proposed tunings, historically appropriate stringing would likely include iron or steel wire for the top course, yellow brass for the middle courses, and twined brass or "silvered" wound strings — much like on the 18th century guittar.

The sultana today

Renowned cittern and viol player Gerald Trimble has spent the last several decades in service of understanding, playing, and promoting the sultana. Andrew Hartig Custom Strings is proud to be partnered with Gerald in on-going stringing experimentation on his historical sultanas in order to understand what might be both physically and sonically possible and viable.  

A recording of him playing and explaining a bit about his Thomas Perry (c. 1790) sultana can be seen in the first video below. (Video courtesy of Musical Instrument Museum, Arizona, USA.)

The second video is a sound clip from one of Gerald's posts on Facebook.

Notes

1. For more on the connections to the viola d'amore, see the entry in Grove or the article by Poulopoulos & Durkin (2016).

2. See Poulopoulos & Durkin (2016).

3. Vreedman, Michiel. Der violen cyther met vyf snaren, een nieuwe soorte melodieuse inventie, twe naturen hebbende, vier parthyen spelende, licht te leeren, half violens, half cyther, zynen naem metbrengende, om alderley musicke te speelen, sonder een note van de musick te verstaan, so wel voor die violens, als voor die cyther, ettelicken musickstucken opgesett, ende in tablatuer gebracht (1612). Arnhem: Jan Janszoon.
   Michiel (Michael) Vreedman (Vredeman) (c. 1564-1629) was a luthier and the son of citternist Sebastian Vreedman (Vredeman), who published two surviving books for cittern in the 1560s. Michiel is recorded as having published a work describing his invention of a "violin-cither," as well as two other works for cittern — though none of them survive. See https://cittern.amhstrings.com/period-sources-of-music/cittern-16th-17th-c

Sources

• Durkin, Rachel. "'Magnificence of promises': novelty instruments in concert in Britain, c.1750–1800." Early Music, Vol. 51, No. 2 (May 2023), pp. 234-251.

• Durkin, Rachel. "The Viola d'Amore – its Heritage Reconsidered." The Galpin Society Journal, Vol. 66 (March 2013), pp. 139-147.

• Hartig, Andrew. "Period Sources of Music for Cittern (16th/17th C.)." The Renaissance Cittern Site. https://cittern.amhstrings.com/period-sources-of-music/cittern-16th-17th-c  

• Poulopoulos, Panagiotis and Rachel Durkin. "'A very mistaken identification': the 'sultana' or 'cither viol' and its links to the bowed psaltery, viola d'amore and guittar." Early Music, Vol. 44, No. 2 (May 2016), pp. 307-331.

• "Sultana." Grove Music Online. 11 Feb. 2013; Accessed 11 Jul. 2025. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-4002232768.