The Craft of Musical Instruments

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[instrumental-artistry]

Tenor Trombone, ca. 1890

Fontaine-Besson (French)

Materials: Brass

Length: 55cm

Other Notes: Combination valve and slide model.

[instrumental-artistry]

Melophone, ca. 1850-1855 Paris, France

- Materials: Maple, Brass - Notes: Melophones are mechanically similar to accordions, categorized as a free reed instrument and uses double-bellows. The player pushes and pulls the lever at the bottom, and uses the buttons along the fingerboard for individual and simultaneous notes.

[instrumental-artistry]

Fiddle, ca. 1700s Germany

- Materials: Back/Sides: Maple • Top: Pine - Length: 62 cm - Strings: 3 [gut]

[instrumental-artistry]

Uilleann pipes, ca. 1850 Michel Egan (England)

- Materials: Leather, ebony, oak, ivory, brass - Other Notes: A type of bagpipes that use a bellows rather than a mouthpiece.

[instrumental-artistry]

Kettle drum, ca. 1830 Jacob Petersen (Hanover, Germany)

- Materials: Silver, vellum - Weight: 13.8 kg - Other Notes: Commissioned by William IV of Great Britain. 

[instrumental-artistry]

Musical Glasses, ca. early 19th century Unknown (Germany)

- Materials: Mahogany, Glass - Height: 81 cm

[instrumental-artistry]

Zūrnā, ca. 19th century Unknown (Turkey)

- Materials: Apricot wood - Length: 29 cm - Other Notes: Oboe

[instrumental-artistry]

Nail Violin, ca. 19th Century Unknown (Germany)

- Materials: Wood, Iron - Length: 36 cm - Range: 33 nails - Other Notes: “Played with a box” that is missing. Patterned after piano keys, naturals are straight nails and sharps/flats are bent.

[instrumental-artistry]

Bass Recorder, ca. late 1800s attr. Francis William Galpin (England)

- Materials: Body: Walnut • Parts: Brass - Length: 133.1 cm [without bocal] - Other Notes: In C

[instrumental-artistry]

Dulali, ca. 1800s Unlisted (Fiji)

- Materials: Bamboo - Length: 64.8 cm - Other Notes: Nose flute

[instrumental-artistry]

Keyed cittern, ca. 1798 Longman & Broderip (London, England)

- Materials: Body: Maple/Spruce • Fingerboard/Parts: Ivory • Keys: Mother-of-pearl - Length: 69.5 cm - Strings: 12 - 2 single, 2 double, 2 triple courses - Other Notes: The key actions are inside the body, hammers hitting the strings through holes in the ivory rosette.

[instrumental-artistry]

Guitar, ca. 1690 Alexandre Voboam (Paris, France)

- Materials: Unlisted - Length: 96 cm - Strings: 20 - 5 double courses each [gut] - Other Notes: Don’t play me or my son ever again

[instrumental-artistry]

Orphica, ca. 1795~1802 Joseph Dohnal (Vienna, Austria)

- Materials: Unlisted - Length: 121 cm - Other Notes: Portable harp/piano hybrid. 

[instrumental-artistry]

Ranat Ek, ca. 1800s Unlisted (Thailand)

- Materials: Wood - Length: 54.6 cm -Other Notes: Xylophone

[instrumental-artistry]

Violin, ca. 1749 Wenzel Kowanski (Vienna)

- Materials: Body: Tortoise shell • Parts: Ivory - Strings: 4 [gut] - Other Notes: This violin, that likely shouldn’t ethically exist, was crafted purely as a means to show off artistry - not for playing. All parts of the violin and bow, aside from the body, strings, and bowhair, are made from ivory. The purfling is of gold wire.

Source: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wein

[instrumental-artistry]

Glasglockenklavier, ca. pre-1596 Anonymous (Austria)

- Materials: Body: Softwoods • Keys: Beech, ebonised Hardwood  - Length: 96 cm - Range: ~3 octaves - Other Notes: Found in the estate of Archduke Ferdinand II, whose crest is displayed. Translating to ‘glass bell piano’, the sound was produced by small glass bowls struck by felt-tipped bobbins. None of the glass pieces survive today.

Source: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien

[instrumental-artistry]

Rkangling, ca. 1800s Unlisted (Tibet)

- Materials: Copper - Length: 30.5 cm

Source: NY-MetMA