{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O58909"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O58909/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GU7171/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GU7171/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GU7171","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BR8698","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GU7123","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GU7124","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GU7125","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GU7170","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GU7172","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GU7173","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GU7174","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KX3745","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O58909/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O58909","accessionNumber":"W.16:1,2-1947","objectType":"Bentside spinet","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"John Crang (active 1742-1792) was based in London and regarded as one of the finest builders of spinets and organs in his day. Spinets are smaller, wing-shaped versions of harpsichords, and were first made by Girolamo Zenti (d. 1668) in Italy in the 1630s. Unlike the virginal, the spinet has its jack-rail running parallel to and its strings at a diagonal to the keyboard, making it easier to play the all the notes with the same pressure. Despite Crang's reputation, a note was found inside this instrument, written by a certain Mrs Weston, who complained that her spinet was 'so bad that [she] cant [sic] play upon it'.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Bentside spinet, with a range of 61 notes, GG-g3. The pine case is veneered with burr walnut panels, crossbanded with unfigured walnut, and decorated with ebony and boxwood stringing. The nameboard is decorated with a trophy of musical instruments in marquetry. The spruce soundboard is surrounded by gilt mouldings and painted arabesques. The sharps are ebony and the naturals are ivory-covered, with arcading at the front.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Crang, John","id":"A23909"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"walnut","id":"AAT12476"},{"text":"spruce","id":"AAT12726"},{"text":"beech","id":"x30453"},{"text":"ebony","id":"AAT12055"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"pine","id":"AAT12620"}],"techniques":[{"text":"veneering","id":"AAT53878"},{"text":"planing","id":"AAT53863"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Burr walnut- and unfigured walnut-veneered pine case, planed spruce soundboard with gilt mouldings and painted arabesques along the edges, and carved beech bridge","categories":[{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2013GU7171","2008BR8698","2013GU7123","2013GU7124","2013GU7125","2013GU7170","2013GU7172","2013GU7173","2013GU7174","2018KX3745"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LDHRN","id":"THES49081"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"011","id":"THES302814"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES301846"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Spinet","id":""}],[{"text":"key","id":""}],[{"text":"Prop stick","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1758","earliest":"1758-01-01","latest":"1758-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed to the Museum by Miss C.A.R.Adams","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"183","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"20.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"35","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Taken from Raymond Russell: Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments. Volume I. Keyboard Instruments. (London, 1968), pp. 52-53. Weighed at 33.5 kg by Ray Powell, 11/04/13.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Musica Laborum Dulve Levamen","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Music is the sweet relief to labours.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in ink on the name board."},{"content":"1758","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in ink beneath the trophy of musical instruments on the nameboard"},{"content":"Mrs Weston desires [Mr] / Crang will call to [morrow] / by Eleven o clock [without] fail / the Spinet [is] / so bad she cant [play] / upon it / Tuesd [ay]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Written in ink on a piece of playing card folded and glued to the balance rail, beneath the keys. (Howard Schott in <i>Catalogue of Musical instruments ... </i>(p. 82) thinks Mrs Weston may be refering to another instrument)"},{"content":"CRang Londini fecit","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Crang made this in London","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in ink beneath the trophy on the nameboard."}],"objectHistory":"Bequeathed to the Museum by Miss C.A.R. Adams.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bentside spinet, English, case veneered with burr walnut and unfigured walnut, by John Crang, 1758.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Raymond Russell: Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments. Volume I. Keyboard Instruments. (London, 1968), pp. 52-53"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Howard Schott: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part I: Keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 81-82."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"trophy","id":"x38269"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"SPINET \r\nEnglish\r\nBy John Crang, London, 1758 \r\nInscribed Crang Londini Fecit and above Musica Laborum Dulce Levamen [Music, sweet relief to cares]\r\nThe sharps are ebony and the naturals ivory. \r\nThe instrument's range is GG - g3.  \r\n \r\nKeyboard Catalogue No.: 27 \r\n \r\nJohn Arnold in his Compleat Psalmody (London, 1761) ranked Crang among the best spinet builders. However, the owner of this example, a Mrs Weston complained that it \"was so bad she cant a[play] it!\"  Crang built the chamber organ of Fonthill Splendens and a claviorganum (Harpsichord-cum-organ) for Carshalton Park, Surrey. \r\n\r\nBequeathed by Miss C. A. R. Adams.\r\n\r\nW.16-1947","date":{"text":"pre September 2000","earliest":null,"latest":"2000-08-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.16:1-1947","W.16:2-1947","W.16:3-1947"],"accessionNumberNum":"16","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1947,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Spinet","key"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-12","recordCreationDate":"2001-05-16","availableToBook":false}}