double manual, F1-f3 | 8’ 8’ 4’
Richly decorated case, painted with floral motifs on a green background and embellished with gilded framing. The lid exterior has been painted with flowers and musical instruments. The instrument has been signed on the nameboard: ‘IACOBUS VAN DEN ELSCHE ME FECIT ANTVERPI. A° 1763’. In contrast to the lavishly decorated exterior, the interior of the instrument is restrained: e.g. the soundboard has not been decorated. The instrument has four rows of jacks: two for both of the 8’ registers, one for the 4’ register and one for a nasal register. The instrument has been equipped with three knobs and two knee levers, which enabled the player to engage or disengage the various registers. The stand is original and consists of three turned legs with upper and lower stretchers. The instrument was restored in 1920 (?Erard) and in 1975–7 (Hubert Bédard). B.dard reconstructed the lost knee levers. Cornelis Bom implemented minor conservation measures in 1978.
Provenance: Hector Colard (Brussels, ?–1924); sold for 3,600 Belgian francs to the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp on 9 April 1924 at the auction held by Galerie J. & A. Leroy (Brussels); on permanent loan to the Museum Vleeshuis since 1967.
