Italian Harpsichord, Two Manual

     Italian Harpsichord:

Decorated with garlands, dating from the 17th Century, and rebuilt by a French maker 100 years later.  Supported on trestles.  Bought at Sotheby's, and described as "fine and decorative two-manual Italian harpsichord in a Louis XVI case."  It has a beautiful Flemish painting on the inside of the lid in the style of  Tenier and a beautiful  ornamented frame,  7 foot long and shaped like a modern grand piano but much narrower. (It is notable that there were also famous Flemish harpsichord makers in the 17^th century.)  The strings in this instrument are plucked by a "quill" when the key is struck.  There is a double keyboard with several pedals or "stops" (RDM,6.3.65)