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Harpsichord

mid 17th century
Not on view
Technical description: Typical Italian thin-case construction, made of curly maple, no outer case, crude lid attached to spine, nameboard and jackrail decorated with inlaid ivory and ebony; present compass AA-e3, and earlier compass was AA-f3, may have had split accidentals at one point; single manual, now 2x8', may have been 1x8' earlier, now has buff stop, probably not original; ebony naturals with ivory arcades, ebony accidentals with inlaid ivory, three-rail keyframe, keys guided by wooden slips in rack; pear or fruitwood jacks with beech tongues, quill springs, quill plectra, single flag dampers, box registers moved by grasping small ivory knobs, but no levers are present; soundboard has three elaborate multi-layered parchment roses. (Douglas Maple 1983)

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Harpsichord
  • Date: mid 17th century
  • Geography: probably Naples, Italy
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: wood, various materials
  • Dimensions:
    Inner Instrument
    L. 195.2 cm 76.85 in.
    W. 85.9 33.82
    D. 21.6 8.50

  • Classifications: Chordophone-Zither-plucked-harpsichord, Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
  • Object Number: 89.4.1231
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Harpsichord, Michele Todini , designer Italian, Wood, gilt, ebony, ivory, parchment, Italian (Roman)
Harpsichord
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1670
Mandolin, Antonius Vinaccia Italian, Naples, Spruce, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, gold alloy, ivory, various other materials, Italian
Mandolin
Antonius Vinaccia
1781
Grand Piano, Bartolomeo Cristofori Italian, Cypress, boxwood, paint, leather, fir, Italian (Florence)
Grand Piano
Bartolomeo Cristofori
1720
Archlute, David Tecchler Austrian, active Italy, Spruce, ebony, ivory, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, Italian
Archlute
David Tecchler
ca. 1725
Folding Harpsichord, Cypress, iron, and various materials, Italian
Folding Harpsichord
Italian
mid-18th century

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