Bassoon
1830–32
Medium
Maple, brass
Dimensions
Overall: 130 cm (51 3/16 in.)
Classification
Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-double reed
Culture
German
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Robert Alonzo Lehman Bequest, 2007
Accession Number
2007.80a–f
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of 19th-century music with this exquisite bassoon crafted by Carl August Schaufler, master instrument maker from Leipzig, Germany, between 1830 and 1832. Standing at an impressive 130 cm ( 51 inches), this-reed aerophone is fashioned from richly grained maple for its resonant body and gleaming brass for its intricate keywork, embodying the precision engineering of German craftsmanship during the early Romantic era. Schaufler's bassoons were renowned for their tonal warmth and technical innovation, reflecting advancements in woodwind design that allowed for great...