HARP, 19th centuryHARP of Princess Royal Victoria of the United Kingdom, Empress of Germany and Queen of Prussia. by Richard Blazdell, harp maker and teacher to Queen Victoria. London 1843. Alexander Richard Blazdell, a harp maker of German origin based in London, was...

CETERAGreat Cittern  CORSICA 19th c. Cittern of Italian inspiration but of an very original making using local essences. One of ten ceteras found to date

GUITAR-MANDOLINItaly, 19th-20th century. Double instrument, one side of which is that of a guitar and the other that of a mandolin. The resonance box is made up of rosewood sides and a back of the same species located halfway up the sides. The soundboards, made of...

HARP – GUITARSicily, 19th-20th century. The back and sides are made of maple and the top is made of spruce. The two black varnished maple necks are respectively fitted with six and seven strings. The decoration of inlaid butterflies on the table and the border made of...

HARP – GUITARCasimir LALLIET in Paris (1858-1923) This instrument was presented at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, 1900. It is described as follows in the jury report: "Mr. Lallié (sic) built a sort of theorbo with projecting pegs for the bass strings, the back and...

POCHETTEFrance 19th century. Violin of a dancing master from the Parisian school. The back and sides are made from a single piece to which the spruce sounboard is glued. Traces of an important old and good quality restoration are visible on the background. Following a...

CHILD HURDY-GURDYMirecourt 19th c. Flat body so-called “guitar hurdy-gurdy” whose body, in maple, is varnished in a honey color, as well as the spruce top. The pegboard, also in maple, is fitted with four rosewood pegs. The keyboard, wheel cover and tailpiece are...

GUITAR by Sébastien Renault in Paris18th century. Sébastien Renault (Paris, 1750-1829) was received as master luthier on June 27, 1777, the same day as his colleague François Chatelain. The two luthiers each had a personal workshop and then they joined forces around...

 CISTERGermany, 17th - 18th century. Five-course cittern probably from Thuringia, based on certain making elements such as the mounting of the neck, the shape of the head coat of arms and the choice of wood. The protruding parts on the back of the pegbox bear witness...

  KITLouis Guersan, Paris 1737. Before being made and presented in the 19th century as masterpieces, the kits were used by dancing masters to set the rhythm and nuances during their lessons. Louis Nicolas Guersan, 1700-1770, received maître luthier on February...

  HARP DELEPLANQUEDELEPLANQUE, 18th century. Gérard Joseph Deleplanque, Lille (1723-1784) is the son of a musician. He learned sculpture, obtaining mastery in his hometown before setting up as a luthier there. It is famous for the manufacture of guitars and...

  HARPEKENNEJOSEPH VAN DER LIST (1738 – 1812) We still know little about this Flemish or Dutch luthier based in Paris. Archival research tells us that he was a maker of musical instruments in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine at the time of his marriage in Paris on...

HAWAIIAN GUITARFrench making, around 1950. High quality anonymous work. The spruce top opens onto an oval mouth, in the style of the "jazz" models of the time. The back has a "sun" marquetry in wavy maple. The inside of the body is varnished. The sides are decorated...

GUITAR – LYREParisian work in the style of MARESCHAL. (1765-18..) Rosewood back and sides. Spruce top open by three half-moon sound holes and decorated with floral motifs in rosewood. Both ends of the lyre are surmounted by bronze eagle heads and are connected to the...

GUITAR LUTHJacques-Pierre MICHELOT, PARIS, XVIIIème siècle. Marque au fer "MICHELOT" au bas de la table. Fond "en bateau", composé de onze côtes d'érable. Table en épicéa ouverte sur une large rosace entourée d'une marqueterie de filets d'ébène et d'ivoire. Manche et...

LUTE by Bartoloméo EBERSPACHER in FLORENCE, 17th centuryOriginally from Germany and probably from the region of Füssen, where a "numerus closus" framed the installation of musical instrument makers, B. Eberspacher emigrated to Italy like many of his colleagues. He...

HARP-LUTH by Angelo Benedetto VENTURA à LONDRE (1781-1856)Signature along the fingerboard: "Angelo Venturas Imperial Harp Lute / N°36 Queen Street Brianstone Square" Typical of the Anglo-Saxon aesthetic of the time, animated friezes and floral motifs obtained by...

MANDOLINITALY, XVII-XVIII century. Handwritten label on the bottom: "Francesco Pavolini ripari il coperchio... [illegible]... anno 1767". The body is made up of nine snakewood ribs edged with ivory fillets continuing the back of the handle. The spruce top is opened by...

BOWED MONOCHORD"Violin-Moon", around 1900. Stamp on the bottom: "Charles Tournoud / 11 Cours Berriat 11 / GRENOBLE". (1881 - 19..) Circular fruitwood body. Hollow bottom. Spruce top opened by 2 "ff" of the violin type. Rare in France, bowed monochords were mostly...

KIT - VIOLINFRANCE, c.1900. Classically assembled body, following the violin proportions. Fingerboard and tailpiece replaced Body length: 20.8cm. Total length: 43.4cm

BANJO-HARP OR "ARCH-BANJO"French making, around 1930. Six playing strings and four basses. Walnut fingerboard and neck. Back veneered with walnut burl. Original ankles whose buttons have been changed. Length: 96.5cm Total diameter: 39.8cm Resonator diameter: 30.5cm

BANJO ALTO4-String Model, c. 1925. French making. No apparent signature. Bronze resonator. Walnut veneer resonator. Brown maple neck. Ebony fingerboard. Barrel diameter: 29.5cm Resonator diameter: 36.5cm Length: 83cm

ENGLISH BANJO by RUSWORTH & DREAPER in LIVERPOOL, c.1920Modified "Apollo" model. A metal resonance soundboard was mounted in place of the skin. This part is engraved with esoteric drawings depicting faces as well as alignments of stars ending in open hands

GUITAR CABASSE-BERNARDRomantic lady's guitar, circa 1830. Charles Nicolas BERNARD, Mirecourt 1799-1878, said CABASSE-BERNARD, adding the name of his wife, Jeanne CABASSE, according to regional tradition. Iron mark inside: "CABASSE BERNARD à MIRECOURT". One-piece...

GUITAR by L. DELANNOY in LILLE. 1828Inside label: "Made by Delannoy / in Lille, in 1828. No. 155". Back in one piece of blond maple, bordered by a wide net of rosewood. Fishplates of the same species. Spruce soundboard lined with ebony and ivory binding. Mahogany neck...

ROMANTIC GUITARJean-Nicolas GROBERT. (1794 – 1866) Iron mark of the maker on the neck heel as well as on one of the cleats of the soundboard. The back is in maple veneer on spruce, typical of the romantic guitar. The sides are curly maple. The spruce soundboard is...

GUITAR - HARPUSA, c. 1900. Back, sides and soundboard entirely in brass. A varnished wooden resonance table is fixed inside the body. It has eight sympathetic strings that cross the side to be tuned on a lyre-shaped pegbox at the bottom of the instrument... Black...

HEPTACORDE - GUITARPierre René PARINAUD known as LACOTE: (Bellac 1785- Paris 1871) Lemonwood back and sides. Inner lining of the spruce back, according to the practice of the time. Spruce soundboard with ebony and ivory binding. Maple necks. Ebony veneered head and...

HURDY GURDYGilbert NIGOUT in JENZAT. (1837-1921) Spruce soundboard decorated with a red varnished wavy frieze, typical of the Jenzat style. Perimeter in marquetry of bone and ebony. Nine-rib lute body of maple and walnut. Peg carved with a woman's head. Original crank...

MANDOLINLombard mandolin, 19th century. Lute body composed of thirteen alternating rosewood and fruitwood ribs. Spruce top. Maple neck finished with a pegbox in the butt. (traces of black varnish) Fruit touch. Six wooden pegs. Scale: 29.6cm Total length: 52.4cm

PROCESSIONAL CELLOCello or processional bass. France, 19th century. Extremely rare instrument used to accompany hymns during religious ceremonies. Without much commercial value, these instruments most often disappeared as soon as the harmonium was adopted. Plane tree...

SURREALIST VIOLIN  by Jacques GRANDCHAMP. Twentieth centuryThis musical sculpture uses the materials used in the manufacture of the violin, namely maple and spruce. The body of the instrument, hollowed out of a block of maple, represents a female foot shod in a...

Romantic guitar THOREL in MIRECOURT. c.1830Maurice THOREL, born in Mirecourt in 1802; died in this city after 1872. He succeeded his father-in-law, Charles-Nicolas LETE (1778-1842) Stamped THOREL inside. Birdseye maple back and sides. Spruce veneer on the inside of...

VIOLA"Chanot" type viola. 19th century French making.  Apocryphal label: "Jean Lupot". Model without corners (CC), with bridge - tailpiece glued to the table according to the principle of the guitar, invented by Francis Chanot in 1818. Bottom length: 38.1cm

MONOXYL VIOLINObject of virtue or ex-voto gratulatory made in Normandy from 1883 to 1884. Thanksgiving or a masterpiece of craftsmanship, this violin is made from a single piece of wood (pitch pin) and has no gluing. The instrument was hollowed out of a block of...

HURDY-GURDY CAILHE – DECANTE & FILS in CHARROUX, 19th centuryJean-Baptiste CAILHE (1835-1919 and Jacques DECANTE (1808-1884) Henri CAILHE (1864 - …) Jacques Decante, hurdy-gurdy maker in Jenzat, joins forces with his son-in-law Jean-Baptiste Cailhe, who himself...

HURDY-GURDY TIXIER in JANZAT, 19th centuryPierre TIXIER, (1829-1887). Worker at the Pajot workshop then master luthier. Throughout his career, his stamp indicated Janzat rather than Jenzat. Fir soundboard decorated with geometric patterns in cochineal carmine and...

HURDY-GURDY PAJOT JEUNE.  JENZAT, 1895Jacques-Antoine PAJOT (1845-1920) Founder of the workshop Pajot-Jeune. Fir soundboard decorated with geometric patterns in cochineal carmine and lined with bone and ebony marquetry. Body made of nine ribs of maple and walnut....

VIOLIN SCHOOL OF PARIS XVIIIth centurySpruce soundboard. Back and ribs veneered with alternating strips of maple and mahogany. Head joint. Four period pegs, in rosewood. Apocryphal label by Nicolas Amati. Length: 35.4cm. Scale length: 19.7cm

CLOWN FiddleKit violin designed and played by Wladyslaw SEGLA (1902-2007) Handwritten inside label: W. Ségla / Paris 1938. Cherry, mahogany, fir. W: 59.5cm Body width: 4.9 – 5.4cm. Painter of Polish origin, he was first a cabinetmaker and a musician in his country. At...

VIOLIN  “DUIFOPRUGGAR”Attributed to Honoré DERAZEY, 1794-1883. The back, in two parts of curly maple, is surrounded by a double fillet and carved in low relief with floral motifs arranged at the top and at the four corners. The lower part is decorated with a large...

BELL VIOLINCOUESNON, 94 rue d'Angoulême, PARIS. 1900. Invented in London by Johannes Matthias August STROH (Frankfort am Main, 1828 – London 1914) and patented in 1899, the “Strohviol” was played to facilitate sound recordings during recordings on wax cylinders....