Bidspirit auction | Museum-Quality Piece: Luxury English Concertina

Museum-Quality Piece: Luxury English Concertina by C. Wheatstone & Co. (London, 1911) – Serial Number 25238 | Including Original Leather Case - An original English concertina with 48 bone/Iv-ory keys, meticulously handcrafted by the renowned royal instrument maker C. Wheatstone & Co. of London. The instrument is built in its classic hexagonal form, fashioned from select rosewood with intricate fretwork cut in a magnificent artistic manner. The black leather bellows features complete folds with gilt corner decorations, alongside original leather hand straps. The instrument bears the stamped serial number 25238 on the original Iv-ory label set within the fretwork surround. According to the official factory ledgers of Wheatstone, this number formally documents and authenticates the instrument to its year of manufacture, 1911. Affixed to the front of the instrument is the company's original gilt oval label: ”C. Wheatstone & Co. Inventors, Patentees & Manufacturers, 15 West St. Charing Cross Road, London, W.C.” (an address corresponding to the factory's relocation in 1905). The concertina is presented in its original fitted leather case, lined internally with carmine/orange velvet, to the inside of which the company's original and complete paper label from London is affixed. According to the ownership tradition and family history of the instrument's transmission, this concertina was owned and personally played by Yehuda Naor. Buyers' attention is drawn to the fact that the lot is sold in accordance with this family historical tradition, without a physical certificate of authenticity or additional written documentation. The instrument is preserved in a fantastic and complete vintage aesthetic condition for its age. The wooden body displays a rich and beautiful patina, the bellows are intact, the keys are complete, and the mechanical action is responsive. The original leather case is intact and bears minor age-related flaws typical of its age (the upper carrying strap is partially detached from the buckle and has a loss — a piece of strap is present inside the case). The instrument is sold as a historical collectible item in its current condition (as-is). Case dimensions: 19 × 18 × 19 cm. 1.773 kg.