Name of Instrument: serinette

Maker / Brand:

Stearns Catalog #: 1397

Country of Origin: Germany

Region of Origin: Europe

Instrument Category:

Date of Fabrication: 18th C.

Location: CHO TT 4

Description: Presented in the form of a 7-inch tall hardcover book, the serinette was used in 18th Century Europe (this is a German example) to teach finches and other songbirds the popular tunes of the day. Resting on its spine during avian singing lessons, a horizontal wooden cylinder actuates the nine-note organ–which sounds like a piccolo–in the same manner as a simple music box. This tiny barrel organ utilizes the leather bellows that can be seen looking between the pipes at the bottom of the serinette.

Research: Stearns Staff