Music Stand (Pupitre)

Special furniture forms, such as this music stand, began to develop in the middle of the 1700s. French designers and furnituremakers created new, highly specific forms of furniture to meet their patrons’ needs. Though created for a single purpose, this music stand still possesses a great deal of versatility. A musician could raise or lower the rectangular music rest depending on if they stood or sat. They could use this stand during the evening because of the extending arms that held candles to illuminate the sheet music. Its portability meant that musicians could move this stand from a grand ballroom to an intimate salon with ease. The elegant decorations in the wood on the music rest and the shelf ensured the music stand would appear as a lavish object coordinated with the other furniture pieces when not in use.