Pochette

Unknown

ca. 1700–1799 · Wood, ebony, metal · Musical Instruments

Dancing was an expected aristocratic accomplishment. Instruction was given at home by a visiting dance master, who played a small fiddle to provide music for the lessons. The compact, slender shape of these instruments made them easy to transport and gave them the name pochette, which suggests that they were carried in one's coat pocket. Description: A narrow, oblong body with waved outline, the soundboard with a pierced metal rose. Ebony fingerboard and tailpiece. Open pegbox, with four ebony pegs, surmounted by a carving representing an American Indian's head (probably a later addition).

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1700–1799

Medium

Wood, ebony, metal

Culture

European or American

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889