Harpsichord

The instrument’s case and soundboard are made of cypress wood, with a deal baseboard. It has two registers: an 8-foot one and a 4-foot one (the foot is the measurement unit that is generally used to indicate cord length in ancient keyboard instruments). The outer case features precious chiselled leather lining with a painted gold and black grapevine design on a red ground. The inscription on the jackrail, which attributes the instrument to Vito Trasuntino, renowned 16th-17th century Venetian harpsichord maker, is not authentic. The construction style and decoration of the outer case, however, confirm that it was made in Venice during the stated period. This is further confirmed by the resemblance between the mouldings on this harpsichord and those produced by Giovanni Celestini, another famous Venetian craftsman of the time. The harpsichord has undergone several changes over the centuries, but most of its original features have been restored by work commissioned by the Museum in 1970 and in 1993. The keyboard and jacks that are found on the instrument today were made in 1993.