Barrel Piano
ca. 1860
Medium
Wood, various materials
Dimensions
Total H. 92.7 cm (36 1/2 in.), W. 43.5 cm (17 1/8 in.)
Classification
Chordophone-Zither-struck-piano
Culture
American
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.2048
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming barrel piano, around 1860 by maker George Hicks, a fascinating blend of craftsmanship mechanical ingenuity. Standing over three feet tall, instrument features a wooden case housing a struck-zither mechanism— a compact piano whose hammers strings when activated by pins on a rotating barrel. devices allowed users to enjoy popular tunes without needing formal musical training, reflecting the era’s growing interest accessible home entertainment. Historically, barrel pianos emerged in the mid-nineteenth century as street and domestic instruments, bridging traditional music-making wit...