Melophone; free reed instrument

Mélophone, bellows-blown free reed instrument invented in 1837. The waisted body has a short neck and deep ribs. The top of the neck is surmounted by a finial in the form of a small wooden scroll. The wooden front face of the body section is a cover with two ornate 'f'-shaped sound holes, and lines of further sound holes around the edge on the top and sides. There is inked purfling around the top and side edges of the body and the lid. A metal finger board at the neck has 91 ivory keys, arc-shaped in profile, arranged in seven rows. The front cover conceals a wooden pallet plate with round hinged brass pallets, each with two springs positioned parallel to the pallet plate to hold the pallet closed when its corresponding key is not depressed. Each of the keys is attached to a pallet by thin wires. A free reed is positioned beneath each pallet, the remainder of the cavity contains the bellows. A bellows handle (archet) protrudes from the bottom of the instrument. This consists of two metal rods connected at an oblique angle by a turned wooden grip.