Thanks to Alexander and Ariel, these are great photos. It is an enigmatic instrument. It needs a luthier like Alexander to give it a professional analysis. Maybe you could get an arts council grant, Alexander, to look at it 'in the flesh'?
The animal heads are very interesting. Did the Quito vihuela start life in Cadiz? Rob MacKillop www.musicintime.co.uk To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
