Another Viennese piano joins the line-up, this one actually made in Vienna! - a particularly fine instrument by Johann Fritz. He had worked in the shop of Gottfried Mallek the younger until 1806, when he was released and set up his own business.
Three pianos by Fritz, all grands, are listed - so this makes four. Another five are attributed to him but are unsigned. All three signed examples are in museums, one in the Handel-Haus, Halle.
The key-tops are ivory, but curiously the vertical fronts appear to be bone.
The case is beautifuly veneered in Hungarian ash, with elaborate ormolu decoration. Also in the style of the time are the five pedals, operating (left to right) una corda, moderator, damper-lift and 'Turkish Music'; a knee-lever operates a 'bassoon' stop. The lyre is a carefully-styled replacement.
Here we see the detail of the bassoon, a parchment strip that buzzes on the bass notes, and the bell for 'Turkish Music'. There is also a drum that operates under the soundboard.
The piano was restored by Lucy Coad in 2004.
The estimate for this splendid piano was £20,000 - £30,000; it just reached the low estimate.