A Franco-Flemish double-manual harpsichord, originally a 'transposing' harpsichord made in Antwerp in 1617 by an unknown maker.  It was given a bass ravalement in Paris sometime between 1742 and 1750.  Then it received a major alteration when it was lavishly decorated and given a treble ravalement in 1750 by François Étienne Blanchet, in Paris.  Later is was given a treble ravalement in 1786 by Jacques Barberini and Nicolas Hoffmann, also in Paris.

 

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.  The 'stifle bars' added at the end of the nineteenth/beginning of the twentieth centuries have already been removed before this photograph was taken, but faint shadows of these bars which were placed under both of the bridges can also be seen here.

 

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