Hoffman Square Piano
Hoffman Square Piano
Previous
Next
Usage conditions apply
- Description (Brief)
- This piano was made by Johann Friedrich Hoffman in Cleve, Germany in the 1790s. This very unusual predecessor to the fortepiano was called a “pantalon” because of its two sets of hammers. The bare hammers would have been used to play loud passages and the leather-covered hammers for soft passages. This piano has a compass of FF-g3, simple jack action without escapement, 2 sets of hammers, one leather-covered and the other bare wood, double-strings throughout with tuning pins on right, 1 hand stop: changes hammer set, 2 pedals: bass dampers and treble dampers, wood frame, and an oak case.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- piano
- date made
- 1765-1775
- maker
- Hoffman, Johann Friedrich
- Place Made
- Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia, Cleve
- ID Number
- MI.299865
- accession number
- 061285
- catalog number
- 299865
- Credit Line
- Hugo Worch
- See more items in
- Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
- Music & Musical Instruments
- Pianos
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.
