Virginal
1555 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Annibale dei Rossi (active, 1542 to 1595) was Milan's leading keyboard instrument builder of his day. Although not as flamboyant as his 'jewelled spinet' (Museum no. 809-1869), this instrument is beautifully carved with musical trophies and statuettes holding musical instruments. It once belonged to Rawdon Brown (1806 - 1885), an English expatriate living in Venice, who was noted for his fine collections and for his reorganization of the city's archives.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Planed, joined and carved cypress case, planed cypress soundboard with carved fretwork rosette, ivory naturals, ebony sharps faced with horn and ivory stringing, ivory studs on top moulding. |
| Brief description | Polygonal spinet virginals, cypress case and soundboard, Annibale dei Rossi, Milan, Italian, 1555. |
| Physical description | "This spinet is pentagonal in shape and is of cypress wood. The inner face of each wall and the surrounds of the keyboard are finely carved in relief with putti among floral scrollwork. A carved wooden rose of geometrical pattern is let into the soundboard. Two small figures carved in the round and holding respectively a Lyra da braccio [early type of violin] and a lute flank each side of the keyboard. Compass: C-f3 [fifty notes], bass short octave. The naturals are of ivory and decorated with arcaded fronts. The accidentals are of ebony faced with horn and inlaid with ivory and ebony stringing." - Raymond Russell: Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments. Volume I. Keyboard Instruments. (London, 1968), pp. 31 - 32. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Opus Anibalis Mediolanensis MDLV (The instrument is engraved on the nameboard.)
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| Gallery label | SPINET, Italian (Milan),by Annibale dei Rossi, 1555, inscribed Opus Anibalis Mediolensis MDLV. Naturals covered with ivory and sharps ebony, cypress wood body with arabesque painting on the inside. At each end of the keyboard is a plaque decorated with musical trophies and an allegorical figure of the Italian Mannerist Style, the one on the left holding a lyra da braccio and the one on the right a lute. The instrument's range is fifty notes, C/E short octave to f3. Evidence beneath the keys suggests this instrument was at one time a Claviorganum, a combination of organ and spinet/harpsichord.
Museum No.: 156-1869
Keyboard Catalogue No.: 3
Annibale Rossi, whose famous jewelled spinet is exhibited in Gallery 1a, flourished from about 1540 until 1580. He was credited with introducing the polygonal spinet by P.Morigi. (La nobilità di Milano, 1595).(pre September 2000) |
| Object history | The South Kensington bought this instrument for £150 from Rawdon Brown (1806 - 1885) in 1869. Brown was an expatriate Englishman, living in Venice, and reorganised the state archives there. |
| Summary | Annibale dei Rossi (active, 1542 to 1595) was Milan's leading keyboard instrument builder of his day. Although not as flamboyant as his 'jewelled spinet' (Museum no. 809-1869), this instrument is beautifully carved with musical trophies and statuettes holding musical instruments. It once belonged to Rawdon Brown (1806 - 1885), an English expatriate living in Venice, who was noted for his fine collections and for his reorganization of the city's archives. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 156-1869 |
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| Record created | May 16, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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