Musical Instruments Explore the Collections Anthropology Natural History Musical Instruments Archives Handling Living About the collections Search the collection Show filters Music making around the world is represented by the Horniman’s collection of musical instruments, one of the most comprehensive in the UK. The Horniman has over 9,500 objects made to produce sound. The oldest is a pair of bone clappers in the form of human hands made in Egypt around 3,500 years ago. Electric guitars and synthesizers are among those recently acquired. The Horniman interprets instruments in a broad musical and cultural context. We aim to obtain sound and video recordings for most of the new instruments we acquire. Recent collections of instruments from makers in India and the newest collections associated with street bands in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are supported by rich audio and video recordings of performances. Instrument makers’ and collectors’ archives are also an important element of the Horniman’s musical instrument collections. Performance-demonstrations on historic keyboard instruments in the collection are given regularly in the Music Gallery Collections within the collection: The Adam Carse Collection (European wind instruments, archive) The Dolmetsch Collection (European string, keyboard and wind instruments) The Wayne Collection (concertinas and free reed instruments) The Boosey and Hawkes collection (European wind instruments, archive) The V&A loan (European string, keyboard and wind instruments) Featured A Very Regal Instrument: Queen Victoria and the Erard Grand Piano Find out more Horniman awarded £90,000 for Music Gallery upgrade Find out more Live music events celebrate the restoration of historic keyboards at the Horniman Find out more The Horniman’s First Female Curators Find out more Hear it Live! Find out more Music Gallery Find out more Browse the collection: Musical Instruments Show filters MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Disc drive Object | 2014.204.3 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Cover Object | 2012.2.5 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Cymbal Object | 2012.2.3 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Sequencer Object | 2014.204.4 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Bag (general & multipurpose) Object | 2008.629.4 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Plectrum Object | 2016.53 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Scraped vessel; reco-reco Object | 2015.143.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rebab Object | 2013.196.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Jingle Object | M67-1991 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Keyed trumpet Object | 14.5.47/95 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Electric guitar Object | M5-1992 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Ocarina Object | 2012.126 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Bass drum Object | 2012.2.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.16.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.21.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.15.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.14.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.27.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.29.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.30.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Strings (elements of musical instruments) Object | 2015.152.23.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Mute; treble viol Object | 2011.64.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Electric organ Object | 2011.85.5 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.33.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.16.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.14.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.18.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.23.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.17.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.30.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Envelope (containers) Object | 2015.152.28.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Chang Object | 2013.165.1.3 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Chang Object | 2013.165.1.4 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Bandolim Object | 2001.292 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Guitar Object | 2012.13 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Mandolin Object | 2012.131 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rebab Object | 2013.191.1.5 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rebab; peg Object | 2013.191.1.3 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rebab Object | 2013.191.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rebab Object | 2013.191 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rattle Object | HC.1999.1187 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rattle Object | HC.2010.46 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Tuning-fork (tuning implement) Object | 2014.193 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Electric organ Object | 2011.85.4 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Electric organ Object | 2011.85.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Finger cap Object | 2001.170.6 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rudra vina; stick zither Object | 2014.218.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Case (general & multipurpose) Object | 2013.195.2 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Vessel flute; hun Object | 2002.560.1 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Horn Object | 2005.3 SHOWING 50 OF 3382 ITEMS VIEW 50 100 150 ITEMS PER PAGE 1 2 3 4 ... 68 Collection Information These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information. The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities. If you have any further information about objects in our collections or can suggest corrections to our information, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk About the Horniman The Horniman connects us all with global cultures and the natural environment, encouraging us to shape a positive future for the world we all share. 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