Joachim TIELKE

One of a family of makers who lived in Hamburg from about 1539 to 1701. He was celebrated for the lutes, theorbos, guitars, and especially the viols of all kinds which he made, of very fine tone, ornamented with the richest and most varied inlaid work; one violin of his is also mentioned. The following instruments, given in their chronological order, are known : a lute in the Paris Conservatoire Collection; a lute known as a chiterna, with the label: "Joachim Tielke in Hamburg, 1539," in the South Kensington Museum, London, which is inlaid with designs in tortoiseshell, encircling mythological deities in ivory, richly ornamented with precious stones. A guitar dated 1592, a marvel of richness of design and beautiful workmanship, is in wonderful preservation a bass-viol, dated 1669, was exhibited in Paris in 1878; a violin, dated 1670. mentioned by Fetis ; a guitar inscribed on the back "Joachim Tielke, Hamburg, 1676"; a very beautiful viola di bordone belonging to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna, was labelled, "Joachim Tielke in Hamburg fecit, anno 1686" ; and a viola da gamba, dated 1701, entirely inlaid with ivory, with the edges, head, and pegs all in ivory, the tail-piece also charmingly designed in ivory.