The road to Steriano bouzouki

Beautiful shades of woods!

During a brainstorm of ideas and designs, my attempt to finalize the illustration of a hybrid Steriano bouzouki from 1880s, is giving me a really hard time!

I will have to incorporate all information and historical evidence, which I have collected for more than a year, and apply them on a single instrument, adding also my personal touch and motif.

I must be careful to not use structural and decorative elements that will make the body of the Steriano bouzouki, overloaded.

Going back and examining hybrid laoutobouzouka from 1880s-1900s, I found some common characteristics.
Even though these instruments are loaded with fine details, fillets and marquetry,the shades of woods used in their inlays, create a beautiful, old, dull, aesthetic impression, which captivates your eyes, without becoming aesthetically repulsive and heavy.

On decoration, the lines are simple, the shape and motif of the fillets and marquetry are not complex, and the materials mostly been used are:
Walnut (Καρυδια), maple ( κελεμπεκι), rosewood (Παλίσανδρος), ebony (Εβενος), tortoise shell, and more rarely, Mother of Pearl.

The sound hole is round, usually covered by a beautiful, simple, wooden rosette. Its design, has being carved with a relief effect.

Following, is a rosette I created, which you would never see on a hybrid bouzouki of 1880s


Complex rosette design. Created by SDimis


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