Square Piano
Medium
Mahogany veneer, boxwood, iron, brass, ivory, ebony, and various materials
Dimensions
Case length (perpendicular to keyboard): 57.3 cm (22 5/8 in.) Width (parallel to keyboard): 162.9 cm (64 1/8 in.) Depth (without lid): 22.0 cm (8 3/4 in.) Total height: 86.3 cm (34 in.) Stand with 4 square, tapered legs supporting a shelf and a central damper pedal - Measurements: H. 25 in. W. 64 in. D ~22 1/2 in.
Classification
Chordophone-Zither-struck-piano
Culture
British
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry and Virginia Pleasants, 1982
Accession Number
1982.76
Art Historical Context
This elegant square piano, crafted by the renowned British firm John Broadwood & Sons in 1797, exemplifies the refined instrument-making of Georgian-era London. Measuring about 64 inches wide and standing 34 inches tall on its four square, tapered legs, it features mahogany-veneered case inlaid with boxwood, keys, ebony accents, and brass and iron mechanisms. The compact, rectangular "square" design—perpendicular to the keyboard only 22.5 inches deep—made it ideal for domestic music-making in middle- and upper-class homes, bridging the harpsichord and modern piano eras. Broadwood & Sons, pion...