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Signature: "Jacobus Kirckman Fecit Londini 1755" written in pen and ink on the namebatten.
Rose: Initials: IK. Diameter: 71 Location: 221 (centre to spine and to gap).
Scantlings:
| Element | Length | Height | Thickness | Wood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spine: | 2400 | 298-305** | 15.2-12.8** | Oak and walnut veneer |
| Cheek: | 753 | 300 | 19.3-18.9** | Oak and walnut veneer |
| Bentside: | 1694 | 300-305** | 18.0(ave) | Oak and walnut veneer |
| Tail: | 265 | 305 | 18.5 | Oak and walnut veneer |
| Baseboard: | --- | --- | 16.0(ave) | spruce |
Case width at the gap: Inside: 892; outside: 925
Soundboard/wrestplank to top of the case: 57
Nameboard thickness: 21.3
The insides of the lower edges of the case-sides are rebated to take the base-board. The composite moulding (24 high by 12 thick) around the outside of the bottom edge of the case is not included in the above measurements.
Keyboard:
Compass: five octaves F1,G1 to f³, 60 notes.
3-octave span: 484
Total width of keyboard at the natural fronts: 833.5 (u.m.); 836.5 (l.m.)
| Element | Upper manual | Lower manual |
|---|---|---|
| Sharp length: | 70 | 81 |
| Naturals head length: | 39 | 41 |
| Length of keylevers: | 398 | 603 |
| Balance point to front of natural: | 183 | 281 |
Disposition:
| Plucking Direction |
Pitch | |
|---|---|---|
| Back Row: |  |
4' |
| Second Row: | |
8' Dogleg |
| Third Row: |  |
8' |
| Lute: | |
8' |
There is no buff stop, and there is no machine or swell.
Stop lever arrangement:
| Position which engages the register | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Lute | 4' | long 8' (dogleg) |
short 8' |
Scalings:
| Long 8' | 4' | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plucking Point | |||||
| String length | Dogleg | Lute | String length | Plucking Point | |
| f³ | 132 | 48 | 11 | 63 | 46 |
| c³ | 172 | 55 | 12 | 83 | 51 |
| f² | 257 | 67 | 14 | 126 | 57 |
| c² | 343 | 75 | 14 | 171 | 62 |
| f¹ | 521 | 89 | 18 | 262 | 70 |
| c¹ | 690 | 102 | 21 | 345 | 74 |
| f | 971 | 117 | 30 | 487 | 81 |
| c | 1193 | 131 | 36 | 605 | 85 |
| F | 1465 | 152 | 49 | 780 | 93 |
| C | 1635 | 168 | 57 | 905 | 98 |
| F1 | 1791 | 186 | 68 | 1054 | 107 |
Width of the string band from the 8' long F1 to the 8' short f³: 812
Nut gauge markings:
| 8' | 4' |
|---|---|
| 4 - c² - f³ | 4 - b¹ to f³ |
| 5 - c¹ - b¹ | 5 - b to b ¹ |
| 6 - f¹ to b | 6 - e to b |
| 7 - b to f |
7 - g to e |
8 - F to A |
8 - D to F |
| 9 - D to F | 9 - B1 |
| 10 - C & C |
10 - G1 to A1 |
| 11 - B1 & B1 |
11 - F1 |
| 12 - G1 - A1 |
|
| 13 - F1 & G1 |
These gauge markings are written with pen and ink on the top edge of the nut, and appear to be original.
Pin dimensions:
| Element | Bridge Pins | Nut Pins | Hitch Pins | Back-Pins | Tuning Pins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter: | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 4.9 |
| Height: | 2.6-3.5 | 2.6 | ~5.5 | 7.0 | ~52 |
| Material: | brass | brass | brass | brass | iron |
| Element | Bridge Pins | Nut Pins | Hitch Pins | Back-Pins | Tuning Pins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter: | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 4.9 |
| Height: | 2.1-3.1 | 2.5 | ~5.5 | 7.0 | ~51 |
| Material: | brass | brass | brass | brass | iron |
Total length of the tuning pins: 8': ~63; 4': ~64.
The 8' bridge is back-pinned from F1 to long a¹ inclusive;
only the 4' notes F1, G1 and G
1 are back-pinned.
Keyboard pin dimensions:
| Element | Balance pins | Key-tail pins |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter: | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| Height: | ~23 | ~19 | Material: | brass | brass |
Bridge and nut dimensions
| F1/B1 | C | c | c¹ | c² | c³ | f³ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | 19.5 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 18.2 | 16.1 | 15.3 | 15.3 | = height | |
| 8' bridge: | b | 15.8 | 20.0 | 16.2 | 16.2 | 13.0 | 11.5 | 10.6 | = width at base |
| c | 8.6 | 9.9 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 7.9 | = top slope | |
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| a | 11.3 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 9.4 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.4 | = height | |
| 4' bridge: | b | 12.1 | 11.4 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 6.0 | = width at base |
| c | 5.5 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | = top slope |
| F1 | c | c² | f³ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | 17.7 | 18.3 | 17.5 | 13.6 | = height | |
| 8' Nut: | b | 18.6 | 18.3 | 16.6 | 14.4 | = width at base |
| c | 9.6 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 6.7 | = top slope | |
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| a | 10.6 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 7.8 | = height | |
| 4' Nut: | b | 10.3 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 7.5 | = width at base |
| c | 4.9 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.7 | = top slope |
Soundboard wood quality:
Maximum number of 24 rings per 2.5 cms near f¹.
Minimum number of 9 rings per 2.5 cms between rose and gap.
Materials:
| Section | Material |
|---|---|
| Wrestplank: | oak |
| Wrestplank veneer: | walnut |
| Namebatten: | marquetry over spruce |
| Upper belly rail: | oak |
| Keyblocks: | marquetry over spruce |
| Jacks: | pear |
| Tongues: | 8': F1-A are holly,
B-f³ are box; 4': holly throughout |
| Jackslides: | pear |
| Lower guides: | lime? |
| Keylevers: | pine |
| Lower-manual keyframe: | oak board |
| Upper-manual keyframe: | pine stiles and backrail, oak front rail |
| Naturals: | ivory |
| Sharps: | ebony |
| Key arcades: | boxwood moulding |
| Jackrail: | pine with maquetry |
| Balance rails: | oak |
| Keyguide system: | English front guide system with the lower surface of the key levers mortised under the touchplate heads |
| 8' Bridge: | beech |
| 4' Bridge: | beech |
| 8' Nut: | beech |
| 4' Nut: | beech |
| Soundboard: | spruce |
| Liners: | pine |
| Cutoff bar: | spruce |
| Soundbars: | spruce |
| Soundboard moulding: | walnut |
| 4' hitchpin rail: | spruce |
| Internal framing: | pine |
| Lid: | oak with walnut veneer |
| Case veneer: | walnut |
| Stand: | walnut trestle stand with cabriole legs and ball and claw feet below the stretcher |
Decoration:
The keywell, soundwell and jackrail have an elaborate
scrollwork marquetry decoration in walnut on a ground of sycamore.
The exterior of the case including the spine and both sides of
the lid has figured walnut panels surrounded by a cross-banded
border. The panels and border are separated by contrasting bands
14.5mm wide of kingwood edged with boxwood lines and incorporating
squares in an exotic hardwood every few inches. There are magnificent
brass strap-hinges on the lid and lid flap.
Biography of Jacob Kirckman:
Kirckman was born on 4 March, 1710 in Bischweiler in the Alsace,
and died in Greenwich in May, 1792. He came to London in the early 1730's,
apprenticed himself to Hermann Tabel, who is reputed to have worked with the
Couchets in Antwerp, and worked as Tabel's foreman until Tabel's death.
Kirckman then married Tabel's widow in 1738 and so inherited all of
Tabel's tools and stock-in-trade (as well as Tabel's wife!). Kirckman's
instruments exhibit workmanship of the highest quality, and many of
his early instruments, like this 1755 harpsichord, are exquisitely decorated
with elegant marquetry using woods of contrasting colours.
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