The case, a dramatic example of the Biedermeier style, rises above the keyboard in the form of a pyramid, the apex of which is surmounted by a swan painted black with gold accents. Black ornamental balls are placed atop the sides of the case at the base of the pyramid. The case is veneered with bird's-eye maple, ornamented with banded marquetry. The front of the pyramid is covered by a wooden lattice backed with cloth painted with gold foliate medallions and arabesques.

The compass of the keyboard is six octaves and one note: from FF to f''''. The naturals are covered with black stained hardwood, the sharps with ivory. The instrument is triple strung from f'''' down to c' and double strung from b down to FF. The action is a vertical version of the Viennese mechanism ('hängende Prellzungenmechanik'). The hammers are leathered. There are three pedals, which (left to right) raise the dampers; shift the the keyboard to the right ('una corda'); activate a 'piano stop' (moderator).

Several visually dramatic types of upright piano enjoyed brief popularity in the early decades of the 19th century. Simply turning the curved case of a grand piano on end resulted in the the so-called 'Giraffenflügel' ('giraffe piano'), while an oblique orientation of the string band allowed the tallest part of the case to be located in the middle, as in the symmetrically designed cases of the 'Pyramidenflügel' and the 'Lyraflügel.' In the second quarter of the century, these expensive instruments were displaced by the smaller rectangular upright 'pianinos' that were less expensive and more stable.