David Bridgeman-Sutton 
savours more intricate whorls and swirls adorning organ cases—well, those that can be seen. . .​
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Flames, frets and fiddles . . .

A careful look at picture 1 shows pipes beyond the skill of any confectioner — so it's an organ. This example of high baroque at Wieskirche, Pfaffenwinkel in Bavaria, shows many characteristics of the most exuberant of all styles.

Look again, more closely this time, at the spaces between the feet of the pipes in the outer towers. These are screened by triangles of metal, gilded and waved to resemble flames — which is, indeed, what they are called. This feature may be found only in a minority of baroque cases — another example appears in one of the screen-savers available on this site. The fire-like effect is occasionally heightened with touches of red and orange paint.​
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Pic. 1 Wieskirche
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Pic. 2 Exeter Cathedral organ
The Wieskirche case contrasts markedly with its contemporary (both are from the later years of the 18th century) - at St Stephen, Wallbrook, pictured on an earlier page - Cases For Places 2. Baroque goes its own way, as rich as wedding cake and similarly best-savoured in moderate quantity. 


Picture 2 shows the organ at Exeter Cathedral, England. This case, by John Loosemore and dating from 1665, is thus a century or so older than those of Wieskirche and St Stephen's. The carved decoration projecting above the two flats ~ "cresting" ~ was usual from the Middle Ages onwards, until classical severity took over in the eighteenth century. Similar adornment can be seen round the feet of the pipes in the towers; this is rare and can hardly be called cresting -- "bootlacing", perhaps?
The circular compartments, surrounded by garlands, are early examples of elegant features ~ sometimes oval instead of round ~ that appear in many 18th century cases, including St Stephen's, Wallbrook. (Question: Did these originate in Italy?). Styles of past and future do not always marry as happily as they have at Exeter.
​Musical instruments, either carved or painted, are often used to ornament organ cases. If a league table of numbers of appearances were to be compiled, the trumpet would, surely, win followed, perhaps, by the hautbois.​
Stringed instruments seem to be less commonly represented, except in the Netherlands. Picture 3 shows a fiddle within a garland (one of a pair) on the organ gallery at Noordwolde, Groningen. The carving of the flowers and fruit motifs typical of the date (c.1650) is worth detailed study.

Finally, a challenge for travelling photographers. The organ case at Chateau Salins, Moselle, in Eastern France, exhibits interesting examples of the "trophy". This occasional form of decoration consists of a lower layer of weapons of war ~ muskets shields, swords etc. ~ with a selection of musical instruments superimposed ~ trumpets, drums, gambas and so on.

The overall effect is that a passing symphony orchestra has jettisoned surplus assets on an arms dump. Topped with palms of victory, as at Chateau Salins, the trophy makes a fitting adornment to a case in the heroic French style.​
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Pic. 3 Chateau Salins
The finely-carved trophies are placed on the towers. Their resultant height and the fact that a window is behind them means that they are almost impossible to see with any clarity. Probably only the bats and an occasional organ-tuner ever do so. Obtaining a clear photograph seems an impossibility and thus they are not illustrated here, as they ought to be.

You will probably fail to get a good picture but should find comfort in the wines for which the region is famous.
David Bridgeman-Sutton,
March 2, 2004
Picture captions/credits:
​1. Jenny Setchell;
2. C.R.A. Davies, Durham, UK DH1 5LS;
3. (detail) - John Brennan, The Positif Press,
130, Southfield Road, Oxford, OX4 1PA