This virginal is decorated with motifs which derive from engravings by Cornelis Bos of Antwerp (1506-1556). These were copied by craftsmen throughout Northern Europe and as far south as Venice and Milan. The instrument was ostensibly made by Marco Jadra (active 1550-1570), a harpsichord maker and retailer from Venice, who prominently signed and dated it 1568. However, an inscription found on the underside of the soundboard stated that the virginal, or its soundboard, was made a year later by a certain Francesco of Brescia, possibly Giovanni Francesco Antegnato (active 1533-1583). Jadra could therefore have been the retailer. The instrument belonged to Rawdon Brown (1806-1885), an English expatriate collector and scholar, who lived in Venice and extensively reorganized the city's archives. Keyboard instruments like this were portable and were intended to be placed on a table top for playing. They would have had outer cases in which they could be moved from one place to another. These original cases were fairly simple utilitarian structures and very few have survived. It is possible that this virginal was used in a domestic setting. Keyboard instruments are commonly found in household inventories in late 16th century Italy. The increase in local manufacture of musical instruments at this time meant that the ownership of an instrument like this would not have been restricted to the households of the nobility as was the case in the previous century. However, the inscription on the underside of the soundboard with its reference to the Trinity and Virgin Mary may indicate that it was intended for use in a church or private chapel.
Physical description
Summary Description
Polygonal virginal, with a range of fifty notes, C - f3, and a C/E short octave in the bass.
Painted, gilded and silvered with animals and grotesque ornament
Both the case and soundboard of this instrument are made of cypress, the bridges of maple, and the rose of vellum. The moulding at the top and bass of the instrument are ebony with inlaid ivory stringing. The shaped brackets flanking the keyboard also have edges inlaid with ivory. A rose of interlaced geometrical design is set in the soundboard. The sharps are made of ebony and the invory-covered naturals are each arcaded at the front with gothic tracery.
Decoration:
The outside and visible parts of the inside of the case are painted, silvered and gilded with scrolls, knots and grotesque ornament on a dark background. The name Marci Iadrae and date MDLXVIII are inscribed in gold on the near side of the jack-rail.
Analysis has confirmed that the decoration, now largely discoloured, was originally very intricate and colourful. The grotesque figures and storks have been carried out in silver leaf; the bordering patterns in gold leaf and the foliage and flowers have been further painted in green and red.
Silvering:
The rabbits, grotesque figures and storks have been carried out in silver leaf (now tarnished). Analysis carried out on the wings and legs of one of the storks confirmed the presence of silver leaf. The pattern was first painted with a sticky mordant and silver leaf applied on top. The nature of the mordant used to adhere the silver leaf has not been identified. After the silver leaf was applied further fine details were scribed through the silver leaf such as the lines in the wing feathers.
Gilding
Analysis has confirmed the use of gold leaf..The gold pattern has been carried out by drawing the pattern in a sticky mordant over which gold leaf has been applied. As with the silvering, the gilding is further embellished with the addition of green glazes painted over the gold leaf and in other areas it has been accentuated with black pen work on top of the gold leaf.
Other Decoration:
Several acanthus leaves in the decoration have a green appearance and a copper based green pigment has been identified. There are small amounts of gold in these areas indicating that the green was applied over the gold leaf. The very small flower heads are painted red. The areas at the corners of the central panel above the key board are decorated with golden coloured rectangular metal filings giving them a speckled appearance. These have been discoloured by the varnish that has previously been applied on top. The filings have been identified as being made of a brass alloy (copper and zinc) and another type of metal filing containg lead, copper, iron, cobalt and nickel.
Place of Origin
Italy (Made)
Date
1568 (Made)
Artist/maker
Jadra, Marco (Made)
Materials and Techniques
Planed, painted and gilded cypress case, planed cypress soundboard and carved maple bridges. Ebony sharps and ivory covered naturals with carved ivory arcading at the front.
Marks and inscriptions
MARCI IADRAE MDLXVIII. By Marco Jadra 1568
A laude é gloria sia dela santissima tranita é dela gloriosa é sempre vergine maria
francisci Brixiensis fecit 1569 Let there be praise and glory for the most Holy Trinity and the forever glorious Virgin Mary.. Made by Francesco of Brescia made 1569
Dimensions
Height: 17.1 cm, Width: 146.3 cm front width; object is trapezoid, Depth: 42.6 cm
Object history note
This instrument was bought by this Museum for £150 from Rawdon Brown (1806-1885), an expatriate English collector and scholar living in Venice.
Descriptive line
Virginal, cypress case and soundboard, Marco Jadra, Venice, Italian, 1568.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Raymond Russell: Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments. Volume I. Keyboard Instruments. (London, 1968), pp. 32 - 33.
Howard Schott: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part I: Keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 24 - 25.
Labels and date
SPINET
North Italian; 1568
Inscribed MARCI IADRAE MDLXVIII on the jack-rail and francisci brixiensis fecit underneath the soundboard
The naturals are ivory-covered and the sharps ebony. The instrument's range is fifty notes, C/E short octave to f3.
Keyboard Catalogue No.: 4
It has been suggested that the Franciscus Brixiensis mentioned was in fact Giovanni Francesco Attegnato, the famous harpsichord builder from Brescia and that Marco Iadra was a dealer. The decoration derives from grotesque fantasies from the Gallery of Francis I at Fontainebleau and reproduced by Cornelis Bos (1506-1556), the Netherlandish engraver.
155-1869 [pre September 2000]
Virginal
1568–9
Signed by Marco Jadra (active 1550–70) and Francesco of Brescia (possibly Antonio Francesco Antegnato) (active 1533–83)
Italy (Venice)
Cypress, mordant-gilded, silvered and painted
Bridges: maple
Keys: ebony and ivory
Museum no. 155-1869
A mordant-gilding technique was used here to apply both gold and silver leaf, though the silver figures and animals have tarnished. The design was painted with adhesive in the areas where the metal leaf was to be laid. Some areas were then painted with a green glaze and decorated with black penwork.
[01/12/2012]
Production Note
The jack-rail is inscribed Marci Iadrae (transl. of Marco Jadra) and dated 1568. However, an inscription on the underside of the soundboard states that Francesco of Brescia (possibly Antonio Francesco Antegnato) made it in 1569.
Materials
Ivory; Ebony; Gold leaf; Maple; Cypress
Techniques
Painting; Carving; Gilding; Joining; Planing
Categories
Musical instruments
Collection code
FWK
