A George III two-manual harpsichord by Jacob KirkmanLondon, 1760 the case veneered with panels of walnut with elmwood crossbanding, the lid with shaped and pierced brass strap hinges, the keywell extensively decorated in marquetry with floral scrollwork, the jack rails similarly decorated, the faciaboard with a central marquetry trophy of musical instruments flanked by angels and eagles, the soundboard with inset giltwood rose, pierce and carved with King David playing the harp flanked by the maker’s initials I. K., the five-octave keyboard, FF to f3 omitting FF♯, with ivory naturals and ebony accidentals, four brass-knobbed hand levers controlling two 8ft. and one 4ft. stops on the lower manual and one 8ft. and 8ft lute stops on the upper manual, on trestle stand, the lower cabriole section with the knees carved with acanthus leaves, on claw and ball feet, inscribed on a boxwood plaque on the baton above the upper keyboard Jacobus Kirckman Londini fecit 1760, repairs to base,90cm high, 232cm long, 94cm wide; 2ft 91/2 in., 7ft. 6in. 3ft.Condition reportThree previous restorers have recorded their names and the date of their work on the reverse of the name baton.Restored by Douglas B**** (smudged), Ewell 1950Alfred Reeve 1968Repaired by Barud (?) Fischer, Welbeck, Notts., 1986/87 Case & lid:The case is slightly twisted on the treble side amounting to a 1.5cm difference between the front and back edges of the treble side (see ‘soundboard condition’ for how any resulting cracks have been attended to). Various short sections of the elm crossbanding have come adrift and been reglued sometime not very neatly. The lid has a number of old repaired cracks, the two most obvious being between the two larger strap hinges. Two large knots on the inner surface have minor cracks radiating out from them. The inner baton where the lid prop rests appears to be a replacement. A short section of edge moulding at the end of this baton is absent. Soundboard:Approximate an 11cm. section of the soundboard in the trble has been replaced presumable because of cracks caused by the twisting of the case. There are a number of repaired cracks in the soundboard. There is one open one under the strings for e♭1 and e1. One crack under string for b♭ and b has a thin fillet in it. There is an extensive area of old filled worm damage on the bass side just above the rose. There is further linear worm damage in the tail . Stand:There is a rather amateurish repair the stand in the area of treble side outer lefg supporting the tail. Whoever carried this out did not even bother to wipe away the excess glue. Baseboards:There is a curious line of six plugged circular holes, each about 2cm. in diameter, drilled through the baseboards at approximately its mid-point. Long side:Although the instrument is not fitted with a machine stop there is a series of plugged screw hole in the vicinity of where the registers would protrude through the case side, these apertures now plugged. "
A George III two-manual harpsichord by Jacob KirkmanLondon, 1760 the case veneered with panels of walnut with elmwood crossbanding, the lid with shaped and pierced brass strap hinges, the keywell extensively decorated in marquetry with floral scrollwork, the jack rails similarly decorated, the faciaboard with a central marquetry trophy of musical instruments flanked by angels and eagles, the soundboard with inset giltwood rose, pierce and carved with King David playing the harp flanked by the maker’s initials I. K., the five-octave keyboard, FF to f3 omitting FF♯, with ivory naturals and ebony accidentals, four brass-knobbed hand levers controlling two 8ft. and one 4ft. stops on the lower manual and one 8ft. and 8ft lute stops on the upper manual, on trestle stand, the lower cabriole section with the knees carved with acanthus leaves, on claw and ball feet, inscribed on a boxwood plaque on the baton above the upper keyboard Jacobus Kirckman Londini fecit 1760, repairs to base,90cm high, 232cm long, 94cm wide; 2ft 91/2 in., 7ft. 6in. 3ft.Condition reportThree previous restorers have recorded their names and the date of their work on the reverse of the name baton.Restored by Douglas B**** (smudged), Ewell 1950Alfred Reeve 1968Repaired by Barud (?) Fischer, Welbeck, Notts., 1986/87 Case & lid:The case is slightly twisted on the treble side amounting to a 1.5cm difference between the front and back edges of the treble side (see ‘soundboard condition’ for how any resulting cracks have been attended to). Various short sections of the elm crossbanding have come adrift and been reglued sometime not very neatly. The lid has a number of old repaired cracks, the two most obvious being between the two larger strap hinges. Two large knots on the inner surface have minor cracks radiating out from them. The inner baton where the lid prop rests appears to be a replacement. A short section of edge moulding at the end of this baton is absent. Soundboard:Approximate an 11cm. section of the soundboard in the trble has been replaced presumable because of cracks caused by the twisting of the case. There are a number of repaired cracks in the soundboard. There is one open one under the strings for e♭1 and e1. One crack under string for b♭ and b has a thin fillet in it. There is an extensive area of old filled worm damage on the bass side just above the rose. There is further linear worm damage in the tail . Stand:There is a rather amateurish repair the stand in the area of treble side outer lefg supporting the tail. Whoever carried this out did not even bother to wipe away the excess glue. Baseboards:There is a curious line of six plugged circular holes, each about 2cm. in diameter, drilled through the baseboards at approximately its mid-point. Long side:Although the instrument is not fitted with a machine stop there is a series of plugged screw hole in the vicinity of where the registers would protrude through the case side, these apertures now plugged. "
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
