Italian Single Manual Harpsichord
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This instrument was made by an unknown maker in Italy, in 1693. It is a single manual harpsichord with a compass of GG – c3 (no GG#), and a disposition of 2 x 8’. The harpsichord has a fir soundboard, and boxwood naturals with boxwood arcades and ebony accidentals. The lowest jack and lowest key are marked “1693.” Research indicates that this harpsichord could be the work of Joannes Baptista Giusti.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The separable outer case is made of cypress painted with fantastical creatures. The interior of the lid is painted with similar creatures and features a female figure in the center of the keyboard cover and an inset painting with a seascape with boats, two figures in foreground, and a castle-like structure with a waterfall on the right side. The decoration of the exterior is not original and likely applied to the instrument when it passed through the workshop of Leopoldo Franciolini.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Restored to playing condition in 1959 with additional work in 1979, by William Dowd, this 1693 Italian harpsichord is currently used in concerts and featured on recordings by the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Recordings currently available can be found at the following link:
label: Description (Brief)
content: www.smithsonianchambermusic.org
place: label: place made
content: Italy
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Harpsichords
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Hugo Worch
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.326904
label: accession number
content: 84841
label: catalog number
content: 326904
objectType: label: Object Name
content: harpsichord
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 41 in x 39 in x 101 in; 104.14 cm x 99.06 cm x 256.54 cm