Shudi Double Manual Harpsichord
date: label: date made
content: ca 1743
name: label: maker
content: Shudi, Burkat
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This harpsichord was made by Barkat Shudi in London, England about 1743. It is a double manual harpsichord with a compass of FF - f3 (no FF#), and a disposition of 2 x 8’, 1 x 4’, with lute, buff, and 5 hand stops 3 on left, 2 on right). The harpsichord has a spruce soundboard, and ivory naturals and ebony accidentals. The upper name batten is inscribed: “Burkat Shudi Fecit Londini” and the lower name batten is inscribed: “Burkat Shudi No 199 Fecit Londoni 1747." The original lower keyboard is marked “144.”
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This instrument once was a part of a combined harpsichord and pipe organ, or clavi-organum. It was first built with four harpsichord stops: lute, 4’ octave, upper manual 8’, and lower manual 8’. The keyslip of the lower manual shows evidence of two holes, between EE and FF, and f2 and g2. There is also evidence of clearance holes for rods and actuating levers for a mechanical arrangement for sliding a register for organ stickers, in order activate or shut off the organ-playing key action. The organ hand stops, which pulled through the lower manual key cheeks, apparently numbered six.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>The lid is of modern American make and was likely to have been made around 1900. Like the casework, the upper keyboard was probably made by a previous restorer, while the lower keyboard is old and very likely original to this instrument. The keyboards have been replaced and the lower keyboard has been preserved for study.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>Restored to playing condition 1964-1965, by William Dowd, the Shudi harpsichord is currently used in concerts on featured on recordings by the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>Recordings currently available can be found at the following link:</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>www.smithsonianchambermusic.org</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
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.314524
label: accession number
content: 65118
label: catalog number
content: 314524
objectType: label: Object Name
content: harpsichord
label: Object Name
content: parts, harpsichord
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: walnut veneer (case material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: spruce (soundboard material)
label: Physical Description
content: ivory (naturals material)
label: Physical Description
content: ebony (accidentals material)
label: Physical Description
content: Delrin (plectra material)
label: Measurements
content: overall (instrument only): 11 5/8 in x 36 5/8 in x 96 in; 29.5275 cm x 93.0275 cm x 243.84 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 12 1/2 in x 37 1/2 in x 98 in; 31.75 cm x 95.25 cm x 248.92 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: wood, pieces of: 4 1/2 in x 45 in x 12 1/2 in; 11.43 cm x 114.3 cm x 31.75 cm