Broadwood Mahogany Piano.

This Grand Piano of eight octaves is in excellent condition and is one of the original Muckross House furnishings. It is a very high status object and was made by Broadwood, one of Queen Victoria's preferred piano manufacturers.

The piano is of Brazilian rosewood, with gadroon edging, carved tapered legs with foliate capitals and acanthus-leaf carvings. It has a lute-shaped pedal platform and Cole and Colinson castors.

The piano was completed at Horseferry Workshops, Westminister, London, on 9th April 1845. The manufacturing record describes it as a ‘patent repetition grand pianoforte, compass c to g.’ The Serial Number on the piano is 16,321.

On 8th July 1845 the piano was delivered to Farlow’s Wharfe, London. It was addressed to ‘Lady Eleanor Balfour, care of Henry Arthur Herbert Esq of Muckross Abbey, Killarney, care of William Bourke Esq, Patrick St., Cork.’ Eleanor Balfour was Herbert's mother-in-law. The piano was loaded on the steamship 'Ocean', destined for Ireland. The shipping cost was 8s/6d and the travel insurance was also 8s/6d.