The object in context
The MIM identifies Joannes Ruckers’ instrument as a 1619 combination of harpsichord and virginal. The painted lid is later than the instrument, which makes the whole object a record of successive choices.
Try this when you look
Identify the two playing arrangements before looking at the decoration. What would count as evidence of manufacture, and what as evidence of later use? Describe both without treating “later” as automatically less valuable.
Before you visit
An instrument can be appreciated as furniture, technology and a means of producing sound. Check the museum’s listening arrangements instead of assuming that a historic instrument is played for every visitor.
- Visible form — Sketch the object’s outer silhouette.
- Mechanism — Identify a documented working part.
- Use — Distinguish intended and reported use.
- Evidence — Do not infer performance from appearance.
