minstrel: period music stands

[Tadhg O Cuileannain]

I'm afraid I can't help with online images, but there are two pictures
in the Pelican History of Music, vol. I (plates 3a and 11b), which is at
least an inexpensive paperback, readily available used.  Both are of
monks singing from a musical text.  No dates are given, but from the
style I would guess 13th c., give or take 50 years.  The stands are
fairly simple: both appear to be lathe-turned posts (fairly thick--from
3x3 to 4x4 stock, I'd estimate) set in a wide, conical base with an
angled board on top.  Both have an obvious ridge at the bottom of the
board to keep the music from falling off, and one of them has some
carved scrollwork along the side of the board.  They could be imitated
fairly easily with prefab parts from Home Base, but they don't look very
portable.

Tadhg
--
ÿWPC}