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Square Piano by John Bland, London c.1790

John Bland was a music publisher and dealer in musical instruments in Holborn, London from the late 1770s to 1795. In common with Longman & Broderip, Bland commissioned musical instrument makers to produce square pianos which were then sold under his name. Houston is one maker known to have supplied instruments to Bland. This unusual square piano however bears striking resemblance to others made by Charles Trute dated 1781.

This square piano has a compass of 54 notes (CC-f³) with a single action. There is one lever operating the lute stop and a pedal operating a lid swell. The casework and stand bear the highest quality decorative veneers - panels of figured ash with purpleheart banding and inlays, with a frieze of figured sycamore around the bottom of the case. The keywell and name board are veneered with panels of burr yew. The French stand is decorated to match the instrument. This is a superb little piano.

Case dimensions: 43¾" × 18" × 7¼"