Today, in the ‘Exhibit in detail’ section, we will talk about unique musical instruments presented in the museum Collection exposition: mechanical dulcimers.

Mechanical dulcimers combine the acoustic richness of a traditional instrument with the engineering ingenuity of automatons. They reflect an era when music and mechanics intersected, and skilled craftsmen created devices that still amaze us today with their complexity and aesthetic perfection. Despite limitations in their repertoire, these instruments remain an important part of cultural heritage, demonstrating early attempts at automating art.
Mechanical dulcimers, as a rule, are housed in a wooden case, often decorated with alfresco painting, varnishing and purfling.

The ‘Automatic string instruments’ section of the museum Collection features a variety of mechanical dulcimers. Here are three models featured in the video:

Dulcimer. W.F. Taylor. Great Britain, Bristol. 1848
Dulcimer. Carmelo Formosa. Turkey, Constantinople. 1920
Dulcimer “Faventia”. Vicente Llinares. Spain, Barcelona. The 1950s