Pipiza
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
L. (with pirouette and reed) 42 cm (16 9/16 in.), L. (without pirouette and reed) 34 cm (16 15/16 in.), Diameter of bell 8.05 cm (3 3/16in.)
Classification
Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-double reed
Culture
Greek
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.937
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Musical Instruments gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we spotlight the *Pipiza*, a captivating 19th-century Greekophone from the Crosby Brown Collection, acquired in 1889 Crafted from wood by an unknown artisan, this double-reed instrument measures 42 cm long including its pirouette and reed—or 34 cm without—and features a bell with an 8.05 cm diameter. Its slender form and precise construction highlight the skilled woodworking traditions of Greek folk craftsmanship, designed for vibrant acoustic performance. In Greek culture, double-reed aerophones like the *Pipi...