Pochette en bateau

Pochette or dance master's violin. Late 18th/early 19th century. In the shape of a boat or pochette en bateau.

There are two possible explanations for the name of this ‘pocket’ violin. According to some, the ‘pochette’ is an instrument that the dancing masters carried in their pockets. For others, the name comes from the leather pocket in which these instruments were kept. Some inventories mention the existence of a leather pouch or quiver with the instrument, which in any case confirms the reality of the latter use. The German name Taschengeige also conveys the idea of ‘bag’, the Italian name sordina refers to the metallic sound produced by this small sounding box, while the English kit could refer to the ‘smallness’ of the violin. Although the instrument was not intended for this purpose, on rare occasions mute kits have been used in operas to create a particular sonorous atmosphere.

From the 16th century onwards, pochette were very common in Paris. In the 17th century, their soundboards were most often ‘boat-shaped’ like the one shown here, with a small human head or something fanciful in place of the volute at the top of the neck, but some could be ‘violin-shaped’. Violin’ shapes appeared in the mid-17th century.

The pochettes were mainly used in the Ancien Régime and were used by dance masters - who were above all good violinists - to teach dancing and to give lessons in civility. The maître à danser, or baladin according to ancient usage, gave lessons in civility and taught the elegant movements necessary to take part in the court ballets. The instrument enabled the dance master to keep time and move about with ease, thanks to its small pocket size, which earned it the name of ‘pochette’.

The dance master was an indispensable figure in the education of the aristocracy. He was at the service of the nobility, giving lessons to kings, queens, princes and pages of the king.  It is common for some of these dance-master violins to be richly decorated, as some were gifts from wealthy families to their private dance master.

The image on the back of this pochette depicts Arion of Lesbos riding a dolphin. Arion is a legendary figure who is said to have spent most of his life in Corinth, where he became famous for his songs in honour of Dionysus. It was he who developed the dithyramb, a choral song dedicated to Dionysus that eventually gave rise to tragedy as a performing art form.

Arion once travelled to Sicily, where he won a contest and amassed a considerable fortune. On his way back, he chartered a Corinthian ship, but the crew, greedy for his money, plotted to murder him. Warned by Apollo in a dream, Arion devised a plan to save himself. He proposed to the sailors that they postpone his death so that he could sing to them during the voyage, and they agreed, eager to hear one of the best voices in Greece.

Arion, dressed in his best clothes, sang a melody so powerful that it attracted the dolphins. He then launched himself into the sea and, miraculously, managed to reach the coast of Laconia on a dolphin.