Unknown master.
Russia, St. Petersburg(?), the 2nd half of the 18th century

“33” — a handwritten label glued to the outside of the bottom of the case;
“117/799” — an inscription by white paint on the outside of the long side bar

2200×1010×870
Wood, metal, bone, fabric, felt

1932, transferred from the State Hermitage (M. S. and E. P. Oliv’s collection)
Stock number: 16516/1427

Initially, the instrument was a harpsichord. The hammer mechanism was installed in the 1770-80-ies. The key action is English. There are 2 knee pedals (fragments of the fasteners of the 3rd pedal remained). The side bars and the cover of the case are made of deciduous wood; methods of wood drying, sawing and carpenting were unsuccessful: the mentioned parts are still subject to warping.

The 3-partʼs cover, 3 side bars (of 4), the keyboard cover, and 4 legs are oil-tinted light yellow-green. On this background, the external surfaces of the listed parts (except for the legs) are painted dense dark green — a floral ornament in the form of flowers, leaves and berries with entangled sprouts. The ornament also includes images of ribbons, musettes with notes, cornucopias, banners, swords, quivers with arrows. 2 round medallions, which are paintings on canvas, are glued on each side of the cover.

An image of an eagle with wide spread wings is depicted on the front surface of the wide part of the cover. The eagle is holding a pole with cone-like knobs at the ends in the claws and a red ribbon in the beak. A quiver filled with arrows passed through a wreath of oak and laurel leaves is depicted below. The leaves are intertwined with a red ribbon with 2 crossed banners of red and blue. A musette with musical notation of a monophonic melody is also noteworthy. The melody is written in a ternary meter, with one sharp at the key, but schematically, therefore it is illegible. The notes written (also schematically) on 2 (for some reason) legers of another music staff neither facilitate reading.

The back surface of the cover, the music stand, and the supports for candlesticks are tinted dark azure-green; on this background, they are painted with golden paint in the style chosen for the front side. In this case, tinting, painting and gluing of medallions were carried out simultaneously.

The medallions on the front side of the cover. The larger medallion (with a diameter of 445 mm) is a genre scene with 3 peasants against the background of a romantic landscape. There is a building with 2 arches and a rotunda, similar in style to Romanesque architecture, in the background. The image is in dark green tints.

The smaller medallion (with a diameter of 265 mm) depicts a seascape. A rock, a peasant standing on it, an island tower in the distance, fishing boats and trees are depicted in details. The colors are more intense and vivid.

The medallions on the back side of the cover. The larger medallion (with a diameter of 447 mm) depicts an image of a romantic landscape with a human figure and a building half-hidden in bright foliage. Ruins against the green hilly terrain are in the background. The whole composition, as well as the composition of the larger medallion on the front cover, is in dark green tints.

The smaller medallion (with a diameter of 260 mm) is dedicated to the urban landscape — a view of an Italian (?) city: a commoner girl on the terrace looking down, urban buildings and a basilica. Everything is in ocher and light brown tints.

The larger medallions were created in the second half of the 18th century, while the smaller ones were made in the first third of the 19th century. The painting of the case parts of the instrument was made in the 1770s-80s.