Mar 23, 2025
Xaver Eckert playing the psaltery. Video by Associació Estudi del Moble.
The psaltery was a very popular instrument in South-Western Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, usually played by women. All bourgeois families tended to have a psaltery. They were often beautifully decorated and came in a case that was often also decorated.
Psalteries were very popular in Catalonia, the Valencian Country, and Italy. Below, you can see psalteries from 18th-century Catalonia, some of them inside their case, plus the last photo which is a psaltery from València. Click to see the image in high quality.
Source: Catàleg d'Instruments de Catalunya / Museu de la Música. More info from Museu de la Música (Barcelona).