Banjo

After 1878

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

Henry C. Dobson was awarded one of two hundred patents registered for banjo improvements in the second half of the 1800s. His design features a solid wood resonator on the back of the rim and a top tension assembly to aid in adjusting the skin head. Renaissance Revival wood marquetry graces the rosewood fingerboard and the resonators’ back and side.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Banjo
Designer: Henry C. Dobson (American)
Period: 19th century
Date: After 1878
Geography: United States
Culture: American
Medium: Calfskin head, various woods, metal hardware, nylon strings
Dimensions: 36” L x 3-1/4” D x 11-1/2” diameter
Classification: Musical instruments
Object Number: 2025.623.1
Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

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