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Neoclassical Musical Instruments

NEOCLASSICAL STYLE

Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms.

Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.

The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.

Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.

Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.

As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.

Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.

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Style: Neoclassical
Civil War-Era Side Drum, Made by George Kilbourn, 1859
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is an original Civil War-era side drum with a pair of wooden drumsticks. This is a rope tension drum with a wooden body, ropes, and leather tabs. An iron tack pattern surro...
Category

1850s American Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Iron

Pleyel Upright Piano Satinwood Neoclassical Inlay Fluted, Columnar Legs
Located in Leeds, GB
An 1893, Pleyel upright piano with a satinwood cabinet. Entire cabinet features intricate, Neocalssical style inlay. The front panels feature a symmetri...
Category

1890s French Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Brass

Swiss Cylinder Music Box, 19th C
Located in New York, NY
Swiss cylinder four-song music box, ca. 1900, the works with model number "6187" and housed within a thuja wood and ebonized pearwood brass-mounted box, the interior lid with a litho...
Category

19th Century Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal

Very Fine Classical Rosewood and Bronze Pianoforte, Sack Provenance
Located in Dallas, TX
Available for Curation; Museum quality, Fine classical square grand piano forte by Alpheus Babcock (1785-1842) for G. D. MacKay, Boston", circa 1825...
Category

1820s American Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Brass

Gast Upright Piano Quartered Walnut Neoclassical Inlay Brass Candlesticks
Located in Leeds, GB
Albert Gast upright piano with a quartered, walnut case and ornate, brass candlesticks. Entire cabinet inlaid in neoclassical designs. Piano has an eighty-eight keyboard and two pedals. Front panel features inlay of a central urn surrounded by scrolling acanthus and flowers. The cabinet pilasters are carved Corinthian style with a palmette flourish. The scroll piano cheeks are carved with curlicue strapwork and inlaid with foliage and flowers. The piano legs...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Brass

Schiedmayer Grand Piano Walnut Carved Cheeks Filigree Music Desk Faceted Legs
Located in Leeds, GB
Schiedmayer grand piano with a french polished, burr walnut cabinet. The burr walnut is figured creating rippled patterns in the veneer reminiscent of oil on water. The serpentine piano cheek features carvings of scrolling foliage, spirals and a dual linear case moulding that borders the cabinet in high relief. The cut-out filigree music desk...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Brass

18th Century Italian Carved Giltwood, Silvered and Painted Decorative Wall Lyre
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a music room, den or office with this elegant and colorful antique wall mounted lyre. Crafted in Italy circa 1780, the large Classical Roman musical instrument featured two ...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Giltwood

Showstopper 18K Yellow Gold, Fine Diamond and Precious Gem Set Guitar Strap
Located in Halls Head, Western Australia
The Showstopper is the world’s most opulent guitar strap ever crafted. Made from high-quality premium leather, it's embellished with over 1 kilogram of 18...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Australian Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Gold

French Neoclassical Clarinet Wood Brass & Metal Table Lamp Black Gold Drum Shade
Located in Miami, FL
Neoclassical rosewood & brass clarinet table lamp mounted on a round metal base made in France. Comes with harp and carved gilt wood finial an...
Category

1950s French Vintage Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal, Brass

Swiss Gold and Enamel Musical Vinaigrette
Located in New Orleans, LA
A musical movement distinguishes this wonderful early 19th-century gold vinaigrette box. The vessel is covered in delicate engraving highlighted by bl...
Category

19th Century Swiss Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal

Finest Quality Reuge Swiss 3.72 Note Grand Piano Inlaid Music Box Plays 3 Songs
Located in Tustin, CA
Astounding, finest quality, hand-made estate 3.72 note "Reuge" music and jewelry box grand piano with gorgeous instrumental motif marquetry on burl walnut wood case. The music box plays 3 songs. Flawless sound featuring a 72 note Swiss movement. The wood piano case is handmade in Italy by the world's best master artisans in marquetry. One cylinder; 3 melodies playing one after another. It plays for a very long time when fully wound. Reuge 72...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Burl

19th Century Swiss Gold Musical Vinaigrette
Located in New Orleans, LA
This early 19th century Swiss gold vinaigrette has the charming addition of a musical mechanism. The entire box is crafted of 14-karat yellow gold envelo...
Category

19th Century Swiss Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Gold, Enamel

Continental Wood Pocket Sundial and Compass 1780ca
Located in Firenze, IT
A carved Continental wood pocket sundial and compass, with precision carved numbers and a small stringline, 1.5 cm high, 6.5 cm wide, 4.5 cm deep
Category

1780s German Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Wood

Weber Upright Piano Flame Mahogany Fluted Legs Stylised Neoclassical Inlay
Located in Leeds, GB
A 1912, Weber upright piano for sale with a figured, mahogany case. Piano has fluted Doric style piano legs with an urn shaped pedestal. Entire cabinet is inlaid in a variety of woods with stylised Neoclassical motifs and geometric forms. The front panel is inlaid with a central oval and inverted scalloped stringing, surrounded by crossbanded hexagons and circles. The piano fall features stringing in a classical meander. The key escutcheon is surrounded by swagged bellflowers. Swagged bellflowers also adorn the square piano cheeks. The base of the piano fall is inlaid with a scrolling guilloche punctuated with trefoils. The piano top rim is inlaid with crossbanded satinwood with circular inserts. Piano has an eighty-eight keyboard and two pedals. Neoclassicism draws inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. European Neoclassicism began c. 1760 in opposition to the then-dominant Rococo style. Rococo architecture...
Category

Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Musical Instruments

Materials

Mahogany

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1968 Walnut Yamaha G0 Baby Grand Piano Excellent Soundboard
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Erard Parallel-Strung Grand Piano with Bench, Paris, 1895
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Located in Littleton, CO
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PH Upright Piano, Cognac Color Leather with Chrome, Modern, Sculptural
Located in Copenhagen, DK
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Steinway & Sons Concert Grand Piano
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H 42.92 in W 108.27 in D 61.03 in
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Louis XV Kingwood Grand Piano
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H 39 in W 80 in D 59 in
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Cold War Era Hand Cranked Air Raid Siren
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A cold war era Secomak hand cranked air raid siren. Type 447, designed and manufactured by Secomak during WWII and the Cold War. Secomak (Service El...
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Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Musical Instruments

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Cold War Era Hand Cranked Air Raid Siren
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Handmade Cribbage Board with Brass Inlay and Magnetic Storage Drawers
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Previously Available Items
Continental Wood Pocket Sundial and Compass 1780ca
Located in Firenze, IT
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1780s German Antique Neoclassical Musical Instruments

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Weber Upright Piano Flame Mahogany Fluted Legs Stylised Neoclassical Inlay
Located in Leeds, GB
A 1912, Weber upright piano for sale with a figured, mahogany case. Piano has fluted Doric style piano legs with an urn shaped pedestal. Entire cabinet is inlaid in a variety of woods with stylised Neoclassical motifs and geometric forms. The front panel is inlaid with a central oval and inverted scalloped stringing, surrounded by crossbanded hexagons and circles. The piano fall features stringing in a classical meander. The key escutcheon is surrounded by swagged bellflowers. Swagged bellflowers also adorn the square piano cheeks. The base of the piano fall is inlaid with a scrolling guilloche punctuated with trefoils. The piano top rim is inlaid with crossbanded satinwood with circular inserts. Piano has an eighty-eight keyboard and two pedals. Neoclassicism draws inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. European Neoclassicism began c. 1760 in opposition to the then-dominant Rococo style. Rococo architecture...
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Steinway Duo Art M Aeolian Player Grand Piano, Custom Painted Decorated, 20th C
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Steinway Duo Art M & Aeolian Player Grand Piano, Custom Paint Decorated with Foliate and Scroll Design, 20th C. Measures: 40.5" H x 59.25" W x 78" D. Catalo...
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Reuge Sainte-Croix Sorrento Grand Piano Musical Jewelry Box
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is a Reuge Sainte-Croix Sorrento large burl elm wood grand piano shaped musical jewelry box. The wood grand piano was made by Sorrento in Italy. Sorrento is very known for its excellent wood work and its art of hand crafted inlays is passed on from generations to generations. Its wood is adorned with some musical instruments (pan flute, tambourine, and mandolin), branches of flowers with leaves and sheet of music in the top board and its sides. The Reuge music box...
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19th Century Taylor Trunk Works Custom Cello Case
Located in Los Angeles, CA
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Vintage Lubas & Sohn Harmonika, Pre 1918
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Vintage Lyon and Healy Harp Case
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Vintage Lyon and Healy Harp Case
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H 77.5 in W 47 in D 27 in
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Grand Piano W. Tomaschek Wien from 1851
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Grand Piano W. Tomaschek Wien from 1851
Grand Piano W. Tomaschek Wien from 1851
H 39.38 in W 53.94 in D 78.75 in
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Located in Los Angeles, CA
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Vintage Brass Bugle Horn
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Neoclassical musical instruments for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Neoclassical musical instruments for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage musical instruments created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, decorative objects, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Neoclassical musical instruments made in a specific country, there are Europe, Germany, and Switzerland pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original musical instruments, popular names associated with this style include Colin Burn Art, and Reuge Ste-Croix. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for musical instruments differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $850 and tops out at $1,200,000 while the average work can sell for $22,500.

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