Vox Humana in F
ca. 1800–1825
Medium
Wood, brass, ivory
Dimensions
Length (w/o crook) 730 mm, Diameter of bell 45 mm, Upper section 348 mm, Lower section 415 mm.
Classification
Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-double reed
Culture
British
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.1135
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of 19th-century British music with the *Vox Humana in F crafted around 1800–1825 by William Maurice Cahusac a skilled member of a renowned London family of instrument makers. This double-reed aerophone, tuned to F, measures about 730 mm in length (without its crook), with a slender bell diameter of 45 mm.ed from rich woods for the body, gleaming brass for keys and fittings, and smooth ivory accents, it exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the Georgian era, where materials were chosen not just for durability but for their acoustic resonance and visual elegan...