Harpsichord
The painting on the inside of the lid features a scene of Tobias and the Angel.
Technical description: Inner-outer case construction, inner case possibly made of cedar, soundboard may be cedar (or spruce or fir), outer case of painted deal, on stand with three legs and stretchers (the rear leg is square and not turned like the other two, not original); C/E-c3, 2x8', box guides now fixed in place, at some point were movable by knobs or wires extending through the cheek (probably not original); naturals of an unidentified light brown wood (may be replacements), brown wooden arcades over a parchment trefoil design, accidentals of black-stained hardwood with ebony plates; three rail keyframe, keys guided by wooden slips in rack; possibly original jacks made of pearwood, with brass leaf springs and quill plectra; pierced parchment rose in soundboard. (Douglas Maple 1983)
Technical description: Inner-outer case construction, inner case possibly made of cedar, soundboard may be cedar (or spruce or fir), outer case of painted deal, on stand with three legs and stretchers (the rear leg is square and not turned like the other two, not original); C/E-c3, 2x8', box guides now fixed in place, at some point were movable by knobs or wires extending through the cheek (probably not original); naturals of an unidentified light brown wood (may be replacements), brown wooden arcades over a parchment trefoil design, accidentals of black-stained hardwood with ebony plates; three rail keyframe, keys guided by wooden slips in rack; possibly original jacks made of pearwood, with brass leaf springs and quill plectra; pierced parchment rose in soundboard. (Douglas Maple 1983)
Artwork Details
- Title: Harpsichord
- Date: 16th or 17th century
- Geography: Italy
- Culture: Italian
- Medium: Wood and various materials
- Dimensions: inst.: 186cm x 81cm x 28cm
stand: 163cm x 69cm 68cm - Classifications: Chordophone-Zither-plucked-harpsichord, Paintings
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.1222
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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Italian
1540
Italian
late 17th century
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1670
Bartolomeo Cristofori
1720
German
ca. 1600
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