Orchestral Horn
1830–40
Medium
Brass
Dimensions
L. 458 mm. perpendicular to bell, Diam. of bell 290 mm.
Classification
Aerophone-Lip Vibrated-horn
Culture
French
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.1111
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of 19th-century French music with this exquisite Orchestral Horn crafted by Tabard around 1830–40. Fashioned from gleaming brass, it measures 458 mm in length perpendicular to its bell and boasts a substantial 290 mm bell diameter, designed for powerful projection in orchestral settings. As a lip-vibrated aerophone—a horn where sound emerges from the player's buzzing lips against the mouthpiece—this instrument exemplifies the craftsmanship of its era, blending functionality with elegant form. During the Romantic period, orchestral horns like this one were pivota...