Video: The Incredible Dulcimer Player Given To Queen Marie Antoinette In 1784

By | May 26, 2016

In 1784, David Roentgen took his royal patron by surprise when he delivered this amazing automaton to King Louis XVI for his queen, Marie Antoinette. The cabinetry used is very much a neoclassical masterwork, and the mechanism behind is quite extraordinary: with a hammer held in each hand, the figure strikes the strings with great precision and in perfect rhythm.

The incredible Dulcimer Automaton is currently on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

H/T The Met