Fife
early 19th century
Medium
Wood, brass
Dimensions
Length: 39.6 cm (15 9/16 in.)
Classification
Aerophone-Blow Hole-side-blown flute (transverse)
Culture
American
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Robert Alonzo Lehman, 1991
Accession Number
1991.349.62
Art Historical Context
This early 19th-century fife, crafted by the American firmacham & Co., represents a classic example of the transverse flute, or side-blown aerophone. Measuring just over 15 inches in length, the instrument is from wood with brass components, reflecting the practical yet refined craftsmanship typical of American musical instrument makers during the Federal period. Such fifes were essential in military and community music-making, providing the shrill, piercing tones that accompanied drums in parades, drills, and battle signals. Meacham & Co. contributed to a growing tradition of domestic instru...