Barrel Melodeon
Instead of having a keyboard played by a musician, this instrument has musical notes encoded by an arrangement of pints on a wooden barrel or cylinder. When a person turns the hand crank, bellows are pumped to provide air to the instrument, and the cylinder is rotated engaging the mechanism. The encoded music sends air to sound freed reeds, like those found in melodeons, accordions, and harmonicas to create sound.
Technical description: black walnut case raised on four short blocks; case cubic but with top front edge beveled and covered with hinged glass panel; rear part of top also hinged to open toward the back; case exterior decorated with gold-colored designs; crank handle protrudes from front left below glass panel; within case, a gear mechanism operated by the crank rotates a pinned wood cylinder and simultaneously pumps bellows in bottom half of case; cylinder pins engage row of 20 pivoted tabs that cover openings over free reeds; the brass reeds, identical to those used in melodeons, are mounted in two rows in a wood block within the windchest; cylinder pinned with one tune, "Boccaccio Racket"; other interchangeable cylinders now missing; printed operating instructions glued to end of cylinder and under rear hinged lid panel.
Technical description: black walnut case raised on four short blocks; case cubic but with top front edge beveled and covered with hinged glass panel; rear part of top also hinged to open toward the back; case exterior decorated with gold-colored designs; crank handle protrudes from front left below glass panel; within case, a gear mechanism operated by the crank rotates a pinned wood cylinder and simultaneously pumps bellows in bottom half of case; cylinder pins engage row of 20 pivoted tabs that cover openings over free reeds; the brass reeds, identical to those used in melodeons, are mounted in two rows in a wood block within the windchest; cylinder pinned with one tune, "Boccaccio Racket"; other interchangeable cylinders now missing; printed operating instructions glued to end of cylinder and under rear hinged lid panel.
Artwork Details
- Title: Barrel Melodeon
- Date: 1891
- Geography: France; Italy
- Culture: French or Italian
- Medium: Various materials
- Dimensions: Length: 46 cm
Width: 46 cm
Height: 31 cm - Classification: Aerophone-Free Reed
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.2813
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Alexandre Pere & Fils
1850–55
Alexander-François Debain
ca. 1860
Dominique Antony Porthaux
1790–1800
French
late 18th or early 19th century
Courtois frères
1833
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.