MMD > Archives > April 1998 > 1998.04.02 > 02Prev  Next


Verbena Miniature Barrel Piano
By Christian Greinacher

Referring to Sam Marquez, Digest 971231 and Ingmar Krause, 980103 and
980106, I can tell you that I have a similar instrument.  Shaped like a
barrel street piano, it measures 38.5 cm wide, 39 cm high, 21 cm depth.

There is a crank on the front left to play, and a crank on the left
side to select one of the four melodies.  The cylinder plays 15 hammers
which hit 15 bars (like a xylophone), 2 hammers sounding a castagnette,
2 hammers sounding 2 bells, and 1 cymbal.

The case is painted with a dancing couple, a donkey cart, guitar,
cymbals, flowers, geometrical ornaments and on the very top a lyre
instrument.  This "piano" has two signatures:

  front side: VERBENA
  right side: PATENTADO / REIG/MADE IN SPAIN / MUSIC BY REIG.

I bought this instrument in January 1996 from an antique shop in
Bavaria for 90 Deutsche Marks (ca. US $ 50).

The piano does not have at all the fine sound of a 19th century music
box, but it fits well in my collection as a curious instrument.

Christian Greinacher


(Message sent Thu 2 Apr 1998, 13:18:51 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Barrel, Miniature, Piano, Verbena
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