English Horn in G
ca. 1840
Medium
Wood, leather, ivory, silver
Dimensions
L. 74.5 cm (29 5/16 in.)
Classification
Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-double reed
Culture
German
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Amati Gifts, 2002
Accession Number
2002.150a, b
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Musical collection, this English horn in G, crafted by German maker Carl Theodor Golde around1840, exemplifies the woodworking of 19th-century instrument design. Measuring 74.5 cm in length, it a body of richly grained wood, accented with leather wraps, ivory fittings, and silver keys—materials chosen not only for their acoustic properties but also for their luxurious appeal, signaling the instrument's status among professional musicians of the Romantic era. As a double-reed aerophone, the English horn produces its haunting, oboe-like timbre through...