Cabinet of Curiosities All ears

1	Drum: brass “tambour grand” or “kettledrum” belonging to a musical society, late 19th century, Burgdorf, RS-13.1105
2	Metal toy cannon, or revolving ship’s gun, with which peas can be shot, 1915 – 1920, Burgdorf, RS-13.1381
3	Toy drum for children, covered on both sides with animal skin, with red and white decorations, 1st half 20th century, Burgdorf, RS-36.51
4	Musical instrument ‘Nunut’, friction instrument; New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Oceania; purchased by curator Arnold Kordt from trading company Umlauff Hamburg 1934, ES-4831
5	Jay (taxidermy)
6	Mallet to gong; Cambodia or Thailand, Southeast Asia; gift Edith Eichenberger 1999 (formerly coll. Max Wüest), ES-20165b
7	Gong; Cambodia or Thailand, Southeast Asia; gift Edith Eichenberger 1999 (formerly coll. Max Wüest), ES-20165a
8	Straw hat with net for a beekeeper (bee protection), undetermined date, Burgdorf, RS-8.207
9	Rattle / shaker; origin and provenance unknown, ES-o.Nr._115
10	Wall clock, dark-painted wood case decorated with angel heads and tendrils of gold-coloured metal, probably 18th century, origin unknown, RS-0.6051
11	Metal lighter, made in Austria, 20th century, origin unknown, RS-0.6676
12	Matchbox as a promotional gift from the Amtsersparniskasse Burgdorf, founded in 1834, 20th century (perhaps 1984), Burgdorf, RS-29.390
13	Record player by the Burgdorf company Lenco, in wooden case, 2nd half of the 20th century, Burgdorf, RS-30.132
14	Lamellophone of the Makonde; Tanzania or Mozambique, East Africa; Gift Max Zürcher 1999, ES-20007
15	Drumstick; South Africa; gift Eléonore Sennwald 2003, ES-21075
16	Drum of thin wood, painted with Bernese coat of arms, inscription on drumhead: Joh. Ulrich Aeschlimann, 18th century, origin unknown, RS-13.1120
17	Goldfinch also called goldfinch (taxidermy)
18	Ping-Pong balls, packed in cardboard tube with colourful stickers, probably 20th century, origin unknown, RS-34.234
19	Emmental cittern (zither) of yellowish lacquered wood, decorated with decals, c. 1820, Bern, RS-13.1188
20	Turtle shell and antler piece, percussion instrument; presumably South America; gift Eléonore Sennwald 2003, ES-21022
21	Electric cash register of the brand “National”, with rich art nouveau decoration, in use at the household goods shop Bill-Schenk in Burgdorf, around 1900 , RS-13.1214
22	French horn, so-called “Inventionshorn”, the instrument was probably made around the company Hirsbrunner Sumiswald, 18th/19th century, Burgdorf, RS-13.249
23	Kora, harp lute; West Africa; exact origin and provenance unclear, ES-o.Nr._085
24	Stamp, without inv.no.
25	Walkman (portable music player) with headphones and adapter, 2nd half of 20th century, Burgdorf, RS-31.114
26	Rattle made of seed pods and plant fibre; Africa; exact origin and provenance unclear, ES-o.Nr._111
27	Lacquered wooden doll’s cradle, undetermined date, Burgdorf, RS-32.142
28	Drum; Benin, West Africa; gift Max Nussbaum-Thomann 2004, ES-22382
29	Ancient wind instrument, so-called serpent, probably 19th century copy, after an old model of the 16th/17th century, 19th century copy, Burgdorf, RS-13.49
30	Rattle / shaker made from calabash and seeds; West Africa; exact origin and provenance unclear, ES-o.Nr._102
31	Hoover of the brand “Elektrolux”, with various accessories, around 1950, Burgdorf, RS-20.461
32	Leather horse harness (“Kummet”), with 14 large metal clamps, undetermined date, Hasle bei Burgdorf, RS-24.12
33	Bell tree with 48 bells, decorated with 2 black and white horse tails, possibly from 18th century French military music, 18th century, Burgdorf, RS-13.1149
34	Toy: Steam engine made of brown painted metal, with removable chimney, around 1930, Burgdorf, RS-13.1382
35	Toy fountain of brightly painted sheet metal, with pumping device, early 20th century, Burgdorf, RS-13.1478
36	Toy: colourfully dressed musical jumping jack with bells and cinells, ca. 1850, Burgdorf, RS-0.5666
37	Ebony transverse flute, keys, rings and fingerhole rims of white metal, c. 1900, Burgdorf, RS-13.1115
38	Black ebony piccolo with metal rings around the finger holes, ca. 1900, Burgdorf, RS-13.1111
39	Small brass bell on leather strap, with dedication inscription for the owner Werner Haueter, 1936, Hasle bei Burgdorf, RS-25.364
40	Folk call horn made from the horn of a billy goat, with brass fittings, 1st half 19th century, Burgdorf, RS-13.443
41	Harmonica by the German company M. Hohner, made of metal, kept in cardboard box with alpine motif, undetermined date, RS-29.373
43	Alarm clock in light metal case with large bell, undetermined date, Hasle bei Burgdorf, RS-25.358
44	Savings pass with plaque “Bank in Burgdorf”, which could only be unlocked by the banking institution itself, 20th century, Hasle bei Burgdorf, RS-25.268
45	Telephone set (PTT Switzerland) made of black plastic, table model with dial and red button, 20th century, Niederscherli, RS-29.358
46	Blackbird (taxidermy)
47	Raven (taxidermy)
48	Emmental house organ with 3 ½ stops, case: fir wood painted in walnut grain (imitation). Two parts to be lifted off (substructure with scoop and magazine bellows). Originally the case was flamed red-black, still preserved at the music desk. The facade design is typical for a house organ from Emmental: flat pipe fields rising from the outside towards a semicircular central tower. Keyboard: 54 keys, reconstructed in 1984, lower keys covered with ebony, upper keys with bone covering, number of pipes: 204 (115 wooden, 89 metal), organ builder: unknown, year of construction: around 1800, origin: Emmental, on loan from the Open Air Museum Ballenberg. An organ for the farmhouse and the castle Very few Emmental organs have survived unchanged – many have been converted into cabinets or other uses. At the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century, they were common domestic instruments in Emmental farmhouses, where they accompanied psalm singing and other domestic music. Originally, the organ stood on the farm “Trog” in Lochgraben near Rüegsau. Through the mediation of the Bernese organ researcher Hans Gugger, the Emmental Chamber of Commerce donated the instrument to the town of Burgdorf in 1984. In 1991, the organ was housed in the newly opened “Museum für Volkskultur” (Museum of Folk Culture) in the Kornhaus Burgdorf – until it had to be closed in 2005 due to chronic underfunding. The instrument collection was moved to the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum, where it is now on display again in Burgdorf’s “Haus Schafroth”. Now the organ is back in Burgdorf on loan from the Ballenberg and we hope it will be more of a blessing than a curse for the Burgdorf Castle Museum.
49	Brass carillon in the shape of a lyre, decorated with red and white tails of horsehair, first half of the 19th century, Burgdorf, RS-13.1107
50	Rattle / shaker, painted calabash; origin and provenance unknown, ES-12060
51	Wall clock with wooden case and gearing, so-called Bernese wooden wheel clock, originally in use in a household in Landiswil, 1765, Bern, RS-13.1189
52	Cowbell made of wood, also used as a musical instrument; Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia; Gift Max Nussbaum-Thomann 2004, ES-22396
53	Slit drum; Sepik estuary, Papua New Guinea, Oceania; exchange with the Museum der Kulturen Basel 1971, ES-20432

This information has been machine translated. In case of doubt, the German version is valid. We apologise for any errors and are grateful for your feedback.

Legend of inventory numbers:
ES = Burgdorf Ethnological Collection
HGM = Swiss Gold Room Collection
RS = Historical Collection of the Knights’ Hall Association
SIO = Im Obersteg Collection (belongs to ES)