Images(6)

armonica

Object NameMusical Glasses in a Wooden Case

Maker James Smith (Scottish)

Made FromLead glass, wood, metal

Dateabout 1820-1830

Place Madeprobably Scotland, Edinburgh

TechniqueBlown, ground; assembled in a wooden case

Accession Number54.2.19

Curatorial Area(s)

Exhibitions

Keyboard Instruments from the time of Mozart

Not On View

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

Wine goblets emit a tone when their rims are rubbed with a moistened finger. This instrument combines goblets of several sizes, producing a variety of tones. Each time the instrument was played, the glasses had to be tuned by filling them with the appropriate amount of a liquid.

Physical DescriptionMusical Glasses in a Wooden Case. Colorless lead glass; blown and ground; assembled in a wooden case. Rectangular brown painted wooden casket with hinged flat lid with concave sides; the sides of the lower part flat and tapered; two ribbed gilded bail handles, one at either end; four brass ball feet; lock plate in the front; two brass hinges; four brass disks affixed to the middle of the lid on the inside, stamped "HARDTMUTH"; remains of a paper label on one side, near a corner, and two glue patches indicating where labels were once affixed in the center of the inside of the lid; twenty-five stemmed wineglasses and goblets arranged inside, each held by its foot to a square wooden base by three wooden strips; one edge of each foot ground flat; the lower sides of the bowls ground on the exterior; rectangular paper labels glued on outsides of the bowls, each inscribed in ink (from left to right, back to front), "A# / G# / F# / D# / C# / [second row] A / G / F / E / D / [missing label] / [third row] B / C / D / E / F / G / [missing label] / [front row] C# / D# / F# / G# / A#"; the wood blocks fastened to two rectangular sounding boards, with angular, flat handles at either end; the boards spaced from the bottom of the case; loose board with twenty-five circular holes mounted loosely on top, with broad strips at the ends; one turned wooden knob.
Provenance

Former Collection James M. Brown III - 1954-11-09