1667 English Tenor viol at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London - From the curators' comments: "Viols, which came in a number of different sizes ranging from treble to bass, were held between the legs, hence the term viola da gamba, and played with a bow that was held with the palm of the hand turned outwards. This limited the pressure brought to bear on the string and created a softer sound than that made by the violin. By about 1780 viols were almost entirely replaced by violins and cell...
