giraffe piano

musical instrument

Also known as: Giraffenflügel

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

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The giraffe piano was a tall, upright musical instrument popular in the early 19th century. It featured an asymmetrical, wing-shaped case, essentially a grand piano placed on its end with the pointed tail facing upwards. This design was one of several forms of upright pianos developed during that era, alongside the pyramid piano and the cabinet piano. The giraffe piano was eventually superseded by more conventional upright designs.12

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keyboard instrument
Other early forms
…air, producing the asymmetrical “giraffe piano.” Placing shelves in the upper part of the case to the right of the strings yielded the tall rectangular “cabinet piano.” Because the lower end of the strings, which ran nearly vertically, was about at the level of the keyboard, all such instruments…
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…air, producing the asymmetrical “giraffe piano.” Placing shelves in the upper part of the case to the right of the strings yielded the tall rectangular “cabinet piano.” Because the lower end of the strings, which ran nearly vertically, was about at the level of the keyboard, all such instruments…
Read More

upright piano
…flat top; and the “giraffe-style” design (Giraffenflügel; 1804) of Martin Seuffert of Vienna, with one side straight and one bent, as on a grand piano.
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…flat top; and the “giraffe-style” design (Giraffenflügel; 1804) of Martin Seuffert of Vienna, with one side straight and one bent, as on a grand piano.
Read More