Italian Virginal: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This harpsichord was made by an unknown maker in Italy, about 1602. It is a rectangular-shaped virginal with a compass of C/E - f3, and a disposition of 1 x 8’. This instrument has a cypress soundboard, and boxwood naturals dark-stained accidentals. It has spurious nameboard inscribed:

The inseparable case is made of dark-green painted wood. The interior of the lid features a painted landscape scene with dancing and playing figures and a painted band of musical instruments at the top. Research indicates that the interior lid painting appears to applied in the early 18th century with the top band added later. The instrument was acquired without a stand.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: ca 1602
• Object Name: harpsichord
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: paint (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: cypress (sound board material)
• Physical Description: boxwood (naturals material)
• Physical Description: ebony (accidentals material)
• Physical Description: felt (fragment material)
• Measurements: overall: 8 in x 59 1/2 in x 19 3/4 in; 20.32 cm x 151.13 cm x 50.165 cm
• place made: Italy
• ID Number: MI.095828
• accession number: 29593
• catalog number: 95828
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.