The Glass of the Naples Museum

This very graceful glass depicts a Bacchic procession, in which various musical instruments can be seen: cymbals struck by a dancer, a syrinx held by another; a lituus and, in all probability, a small pneumatic organ placed on the ground. This has approximately twenty-five pipes held by a wide transverse bar and placed on a very flat wind chest. The whole ensemble greatly resembles the sounding section of the British Museum gem. Neither a water cistern nor pumps are present, while the air supply is undoubtedly provided by bellows. The instrument is also fitted with a strap for carrying it over the shoulder. This is a real organ and not a Pan flute. One might certainly object that the number of pipes is unusually high, although the Nennig instrument similarly had many pipes, as already noted: it is therefore considered that in both cases the draughtsman’s intention was not to render the precise details but the general outline. This is a hypothesis, but if it were correct, one must conclude that this is the first known portative organ.