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Square Piano by Miñaca, T

Maker:

Minaca, T

Number of manuals:

One

Year:

1830

Museum:

National Music Museum, North America

Date Range

1800-1850

Current Location: 

North America

Material:

Mahogany, Holly

Painter:

Pedals:

Two

Catalogue Number:

CEP-5394

Origin:

Spain

Type:

Square Piano

square piano in the English style. Compass FF to f4 (73 notes). Naturals covered in bone; sharps pear stained black. Standard English square-piano double action, with crank dampers. Hammer-head coverings consisting of layers of yellow cloth (with outer layer of leather in the treble) are old, possibly original. Two pedals (missing), one to raise the dampers; the second evidently lowered a batten (now missing; axle pins at its ends were held in the bass by a brass eye in the nut and in the treble by a block on the back wall) toward the strings up to about g1, most likely a bassoon (or possibly a harp, i.e., partially damping the strings). Bichord stringing. Bridge divided between A# and B.
Case (core of pine) exterior veneered in mahogany with holly (natural light and charred or stained black) banding and stringing around the bottom edge; nameboard veneered in ash, with dark and light holly banding and stringing at the top. Front corners and ends of nameboard are rounded. There were two drawers (now missing) under the bottom, to the right and left of the player. Nameboard cartouche is black paint (or ink) ground with decoration and inscription in gold and silver paints or inks applied with a pen; the decoration includes the head of an angel(?) at the top and a trumpet-playing angel at each side.

Stock photo - does not represent the instrument

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