Harpsichord
Medium
Wood, various materials
Dimensions
Inner instrument: L. 151.9 cm W. 71.2 cm D. 16.7 cm
Classification
Chordophone-Zither-plucked-harpsichord
Culture
Italian
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.1226a–c
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of 18th-century Italian music with this exquisite harpsichord crafted Giovanni Paolo Leoni in1773. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Musical Instruments as part of the renowned Crosby Brown Collection (acquired in 1889), this chordophone—classified as a zither-plucked harpsord—exemplifies the pinnacle of Renaissance instrument-making traditions refined over centuries. Measuring 151.9 cm long, 71.2 cm wide, and 16.7 cm deep for its inner mechanism, it was designed for intimate chamber performances, its wooden case and various materials showc...