Set of turquoise and silver miniature musical instruments

The set of six antique instruments are accurately crafted miniatures, comprising of one grand piano and five string instruments.

The free-standing piano features a hinged cover opening to a small boxed compartment and topped with a music sheet stand, standing on three cabriole legs. The string instruments are as follows (from left to right in main picture): a classical guitar, a lyre-shaped guitar with two feet, a bell-shaped ukulele (also known as a tiple), a cello, and a free standing harp. All of the instruments - excluding the piano and the harp - are shown standing on square turquoise plinth bases for display.

All pieces are formed of both silver and turquoise and decorated individually with floral motifs and some with female masks. They are variously marked with standard sterling silver ‘925’ marks and other silver marks. This set was made in Continental Europe- probably Spain or Austria- both of which were important centres for silversmiths producing fine quality decorative objects such as these in the late 19th Century.

Piano: Height 7.5cm, width 8.5cm, depth 11cm
Bell-shaped ukelele: Height 17cm, diameter 6cm