Square Piano
Medium
Rosewood, mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, abalone, felt, metal, paint, gilding
Dimensions
Height: 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm) Width: 87 15/16 in. (223.3 cm) Depth: 46 7/16 in. (118 cm)
Classification
Chordophone-Zither-struck-piano
Culture
American
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George Lowther, 1906
Accession Number
06.1312
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century American parlors with this stunning *Square Piano* crafted in 1853 by renowned New York makers Robert Nunns and John. Measuring an impressive 87 inches wide, this rosewood beauty exemplifies the square piano's dominance in middle- and upper-class homes before upright models took over. Its lavish decoration—featuring intricate inlays of mother-ofpearl, tortoises, and abalone, accented by paint, gilding, and metal fittings—transforms it from mere instrument to a work of furniture art, symbolizing wealth and refinement. As a chordophone-zither-struck p...
About the Artist
Robert Nunns|John Clark (British|British) · 1791 |1833 –1869 |1858
British, (active United States) 1791–1869|British (active United States), active 1833–1907