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ickplant@lemmy.world to Mildly Interesting@lemmy.world · 4 days ago

A piano made of mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, from 1853, New York City

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A piano made of mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, from 1853, New York City

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ickplant@lemmy.world to Mildly Interesting@lemmy.world · 4 days ago
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  • Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone
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    4 days ago

    You reckon they still play it, or is it just decorative now?

    • ickplant@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 days ago

      I did some digging, and here is what I found: “This is the Nunns & Clark square piano from 1853, a masterpiece of American Victorian craftsmanship featuring a rosewood case, mother-of-pearl key covers, tortoiseshell veneers on accidentals, and abalone inlay, built in New York City for display at the 1853 Crystal Palace Exhibition.”

      It’s at the Met in NYC. So while theoretically it is playable, they wouldn’t let you.

      Source - a lot more info on the piano: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/503678

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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        4 days ago

        Those legs! Ridiculous.

        Oops, limbs. Victoria would not approve.

        • mbp@lemmy.sdf.org
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          4 days ago

          Holy shit! That thing is a monster

      • ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Arguably the rest of this piano is way more interesting than the keyboard pictured above

      • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Wow, it’s gloriously hideous.

    • Gork@sopuli.xyz
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      4 days ago

      Probably still works. The actions on these old pianos are fairly robust.

    • hardcoreufo@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Looks like its behind glass. There seems to be a reflection in the right corner, but I can’t tell for sure.

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