The virginals is a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family. It was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods.
Flemish virginals by Hans Ruckers, 1583, Antwerp (Paris, Musée de la Musique). Note the inset keyboard placed left of centre.
An Italian spinetta or virginals after Alessandro Bertolotti, c. 1586, provided with a false outer case. Note the projecting keyboard, unlike the inset Flemish examples.
Woman at a muselar, by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1672 (National Gallery, London). Note the keyboard placed to the right.
A typical muselar of the Ruckers school. Note the keyboard on the right of the case.
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism that plucks one or more strings with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic. The strings are under tension on a soundboard, which is mounted in a wooden case; the soundboard amplifies the vibrations from the strings so that the listeners can hear it. Like a pipe organ, a harpsichord may have more than one keyboard manual, and even a pedal board. Harpsichords may also have stop buttons which add or remove additional octaves. Some harpsichords may have a buff stop, which brings a strip of buff leather or other material in contact with the strings, muting their sound to simulate the sound of a plucked lute.
Harpsichord with double keyboard. The inside of the lid is decorated with two original paintings depicting the battle between Apollo and Pan based on The Judgment of Midas by Hendrick Goltzius (1590). The front cover shows Apollo and the Muses on Mount Helicon. The exterior was repainted with red chinoiserie decoration in the 18th century.
An early diagram of a vertical harpsichord (clavicytherium) by Arnault de Zwolle, c. 1430
Detail of the mechanism of the Harpsichord by Christian Zell, at Museu de la Música de Barcelona
Sound board of a harpsichord with Chladni patterns