I did some digging, and here is what I found: "This is the Nunns & Clark square piano from 1853, a masterpiece of American Victorian craftsmanship featuring a rosewood case, mother-of-pearl key covers, tortoiseshell veneers on accidentals, and abalone inlay, built in New York City for display at the 1853 Crystal Palace Exhibition."

It's at the Met in NYC. So while theoretically it is playable, they wouldn't let you.

Source - a lot more info on the piano: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/503678

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 13 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Those legs! Ridiculous.

Oops, limbs. Victoria would not approve.

[–] mbp@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 5 months ago

Holy shit! That thing is a monster

[–] ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Arguably the rest of this piano is way more interesting than the keyboard pictured above

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Wow, it's gloriously hideous.

[–] Gork@sopuli.xyz 14 points 5 months ago

Probably still works. The actions on these old pianos are fairly robust.

[–] hardcoreufo@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Looks like its behind glass. There seems to be a reflection in the right corner, but I can't tell for sure.