31 July 2010

What is this musical instrument?

Is it some type of piano or clavichord?  It doesn't extend deep enough to be a piano, and then it seems to have a vertical component that appears to have the structure of a harp (?).

Found at Antique Memes, via Couleurs.

Addendum: Keeping up the tradition at TYWKIWDBI of no question of mine going unanswered, Anonymous replied in less than ten minutes with the answer and a link to a discussion at BoingBoing (where there is also a series of rather rancorous comments regarding the correct terminology for the instrument) - harp-piano, claviharp, harpsichord, clavichord, clavicytherum...

Addendum 2:  I've subsequently found a photo of a "19th century clavichord" which appears roughly similar in shape.

1 comment:

  1. It appears to be a harp-piano, discussed, by the way, at another blog:
    http://boingboing.net/2008/12/07/piano-crossed-with-a.html

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