Muselar Virginal
Medium
Wood, paint, bone, metal, beech, leather
Dimensions
Height: 9 7/16 in. (24 cm) Width (parallel to keyboard): 67 1/4 in. (170.8 cm) Depth (perpendicular to keyboard): 19 3/16 in. (48.8 cm) Measurements for that stand: H. 28 in. W. 58 in. D. 24 in.
Classification
Chordophone-Zither-plucked
Culture
Flemish
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bernardus Boekelman, 1911
Accession Number
11.176.1
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of Renaissance music with the *Muselar Virginal* by Joannes (Jan Ruckers in 1622. This exquisite Flemish instrument, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Musical Instruments, is compact harpsichord-like keyboard classified as a chordophone-zither-plucked. Measuring just 9 7/16 inches high, 67 1/4 inches wide, and 19 3/16 inches deep, it gracefully on a custom stand (28 x 58 x 24 inches), embodying the refined elegance of Antwerp's golden age of instrument-making. Joannes Ruckers, part of the illustrious Ruckers family dynasty—renowned across...