Harpsichord by Everbroeck, G van

This harpsichord displays the maker’s adherence to the Ruckers-Couchet tradition of design, workmanship, and decoration. It is particularly important as a rare example of a 17th-century Flemish harpsichord that (unlike the NMM’s two instruments by Andreas Ruckers) was not altered in the 18th century, either in its decoration or its musical resources. It retains its original keyboard with bone-covered naturals, bog-oak sharps, and the 50-note compass of apparent BB (conventionally tuned to GG) to c3. (The arcades on the key fronts are modern replacements, as is the stand upon which the instrument rests.)