Master's sign D, Nuremberg, 2nd half 17th century
Six finger holes (four at front, two at back)
ivory, block of fruit tree wood
overall length 13.3 cm
Inv. 1956.361.
The master's sign "D" (stamped) is to be attributed to the 'Wildruf and Horndreher' (hunting horn and horn turners) of Nuremberg. From the surviving lists of surnames the producer can be assumed to be 'Denner', the father of Johann Christoph Denner, later a leading wind instrument maker, who attained the right to use his own mark in 1697. The valuable materials suggest the instrument was used in elevated society. As opposed to the flageolets usual in the C18, these small instruments were not intended for practical music making, but to teach tunes to tame birds such as starlings.
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