Italian Single Manual Harpsichord
date: label: date made
content: late 18th century
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This instrument was made by an unknown maker in Italy, in the late 18th century. It is a single manual harpsichord with a compass of GG - f3 (no GG#), and a disposition of 2 x 8’. The harpsichord has a fir soundboard, and ebony naturals with ivory arcades and ebony and bone wedge accidentals. The nameboard is decorated with ebony and ivory inlay and has a false signature on the lower part of the name board that is inscribed: “IONNES ANTONIVS BAFFO VENETUS F.M ADLXXXI.”
label: Description (Brief)
content: The inseparable outer case is made of poplar painted with urns, fruit and musical instruments. The interior of the lid is painted with a landscape with dancing and seated figures with a building on the right side and a sea chariot. The stand is made of elaborately carved and gilded wood. 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: This instrument has no features in common with instruments by Baffo. Ongoing research indicates that this instrument displays characteristics similar to instruments by Venetian maker, Ignazio Mucciardi. There is a signed and dated Mucciardi instrument in the Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali in Rome.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
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
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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.326903
label: accession number
content: 84841
label: catalog number
content: 326903
objectType: label: Object Name
content: harpsichord
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paint (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: harpsichord: 10 1/2 in x 40 in x 97 in; 26.67 cm x 101.6 cm x 246.38 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: stand: 29 3/4 in x 44 in x 97 1/2 in; 75.565 cm x 111.76 cm x 247.65 cm