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Single-manual Harpsichord: M/F.1-1933

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Current Location: Gallery 7 (Courtauld)

Titles

Single-manual Harpsichord

Maker(s)

Maker: Boni da Cortona, Giovanni Battista (Attributed to)

Entities

Categories

Description

Wooden case painted in polychrome with flowers, and on the underside en grisaille with a coat-of-arms (unidentified).

Notes

History note: Eleanora Duse, Asolo; by descent to her daughter, Enrichetta Bullough (Marchetti-Checchi); offered for sale but not sold, Sotheby's, 12 June 1931, lot 86.

Legal notes

Given by Enrichetta Bullough, 1933

Measurements and weight

Height: 100 cm
Length: 77 in
Width: 196 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1933) by Bullough, Enrichetta (Marchetti-Checchi)

Dating

17th Century, Early
Production date: circa AD 1620 : previously dated c. 1680, re-dated by Dr Denzil Wraight (2024) to c.1620 on the basis of the mouldings.

Note

Probably altered in Florence (information received from Dr Grant O'Brien, 1994), probably by the Cristofori-Ferrini workshop (Dr Denzil Wraight, 2024). Formerly thought to be Venetian (Michael Thomas, 1975).

School or Style

Baroque

Components of the work

Belly Rail; Upper composed of fir ( or spruce)
Case composed of wood paint
Key Guide Slips composed of beech
Naturals composed of boxwood
Balance Rail composed of chestnut
Key Levers composed of chestnut
Sharps composed of ebony
Boxslides composed of pear
Belly Rail; Lower composed of poplar
Keyframe composed of poplar
Wrestplank composed of walnut
Nameboard composed of cypress
Soundboard Moulding composed of cypress
Decoration

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M/F.1-1933
Primary reference Number: 141209

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 12 August 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Single-manual Harpsichord" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141209 Accessed: 2025-12-05 12:07:57

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/141209 |title=Single-manual Harpsichord |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 12:07:57|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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