Artefacts

Square piano by Clementi & Co, Deutsches Museum, Munich

No 4447

Square piano by Clementi & Co

Post Metadata

https://soundandscience.net/artefacts/square-piano-by-clementi-co-deutsches-museum-munich/

Post Date: September 9, 2024

Last Modified: September 10, 2024

Square piano by Clementi & Co, Deutsches Museum, Munich

No 4447

Maker:

Clementi & Co

Year of Production:

1805

Place of Production:

London, England

Current Place:

Deutsches Museum München

Part of Companion:

The Troubling Sound of Mahogany: Sugar, Slaves, and Square Pianos
(Part of Publication: Unsound Supplies)

Markings

signed: “New Patent / Muzio Clementi & Co. / Cheapside London” on an oval cartouche

The instrument is signed “New Patent / Muzio Clementi & Co. / Cheapside London” on an oval cartouche surrounded by painted floral motifs in the middle of the nameboard above the keys; the blonde satinwood of the nameboard provides a visually attractive and aesthetically pleasant contrast to the red-brown mahogany of the case (left photo). With their lid panels closed, square pianos like this resembled elegant mahogany side tables that could fit in nicely with the furniture found in affluent households (right photo). (Image © Deutsches Museum).