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Spinet

An early 18th-century English walnut spinet with a mitred tail. Compass: G1/B1 broken octave to d3, 54 notes. Except for the spine, the outside of the case has a polished finish. The keywell area is veneered in cedar with white-black-white stringing, the nameboard having a central panel of marquetry showing two facing birds with flowers and arabesques. This instrument has been ascribed to Stephen Keene, one of the most significant English virginal and spinet makers of late 17th- and early 18th-century London. However, according to John Barnes, ‘the attribution to Stephen Keene is … entirely without foundation, and the fact that this spinet is unsigned makes it inherently unlikely to be the work of a spinet maker who habitually signed his name.’

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  • Inscriptions:Ink on top key: "1708".
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  • Repository:Royal College of Music Museum
  • Measurements:Length: 1671mm. Width: 767mm.