A Franco-Flemish double-manual harpsichord, originally a transposing harpsichord   made in Antwerp in 1617, and then ravalé in Paris, possibly by François Étienne Blanchet in 1750 and then in stages by Jacques Barberini, Paris, c.1775 and by Nicolas Hoffman, 1786.

 

Franco-Flemish harpsichord interior seen during the restoration.

The interior of the harpsichord showing the gilt jackrail (arrow) used here as an internal brace!!  This jackrail may have belonged to the instrument when it had a compass of G1/B1 to d3 in its petit ravalement state.  Note the 'practice run' painting on one of the flat diagonal braces nailed to the soundboard liners!

The lower guides and wrestplank are those renewed by me during the present restoration.  Faint shadows of the 'stifle bars' which were placed under both of the bridges can also be seen here.

 

 Return to the secion on the eighteenth-century states of this harpsichord