Already virtually complete in the 16C, this collection in the imperial palace accords antique musical instruments the status of artworks, giving them a unique historical context. Among the rarest pieces are a rebec (Venice, 15C), a harpsichord (Venice, 1559), acither (Brescia, 1574), an organ (before 1569), six magnificent part-gilded trumpets (Vienna, 1741 and 1746), and the piano (Vienna, 18C) exhibited at the Universal Exhibition in Paris.