Clarinet in C
Unknown Artist
second half of 18th century
Medium
Boxwood, brass, horn
Dimensions
Total length: 586 mm., Bell diameter: 75 mm., Mouthpiece length: 86 mm., Barrel length: 48 mm., Upper midjoint length: 292 mm., Lower midjoint length: 138 mm., Bell length: 110 mm. Bore: c-hole 9.8; f-hole 10.0
Classification
Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-single reed cylindrical
Culture
probably German
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.900
Art Historical Context
This elegant Clarinet in C, by an unknown maker in the second half of 18th century, the refined woodwind instruments emerging in Europe during the Classical era. Likely of German origin, it measures 586 mm in total and disassembles into five sections: a mouthpiece (86 mm), barrel (48 mm upper midjoint (292), lower midjoint ( mm), and bell ( mm with a 75 mm diameter). Its cylindrical bore, varying slightly from 9.8 mm at the c-hole to .0 mm at the f-hole, is characteristic of single-reed aerophones, producing a clear, versatile tone suited for orchestral and chamber music. Fashioned from boxwo...