Description

Fully restored solid silver flute with gold lip-plate – LOT, Louis (Barat era)

What surpasses a solid silver Louis Lot flute with a gold lip plate? One beautifully restored and sounding absolutely magnificent.

Listen to it playing an excerpt from “Oiseaux tendres” by Jean RIVIER (1896-1987).

This flute was made during the Émile BARAT (1846-1918) ownership of the Louis Lot company. Barat was born in Joigny, France in 1846. He ran a music shop in Paris from 1874 until 1889. He took over the Lot company in 1889 and flute production was excellent. In 1904, he sold it to Ernest Henri CHAMBILLE (1858-1922).

This completely original Model 5 with serial number 7026, was crafted in 1902 (most likely in December) and is an exceptional example of the Louis Lot firm’s legendary craftsmanship. It is entirely unshortened and unaltered. Made of hallmarked silver with seamed tubing and a nice beaded crown, the instrument features open-hole keys, closed G-sharp and partly gold springs. At its heart is the hallmarked gold lip-plate – a premium addition that cost an extra 100 Francs at the time. It has an embouchure measuring 10.1 mm x 11.92 mm without any modern overcut at the sides.

Its original case was restored and a key was found!

Workshop records reveal that the instrument was later returned for an overhaul by a certain A. Piat, based at 20 Avenue Victor Hugo, Paris in June 1921.

Recently restored by a master German flutemaker, it plays beautifully at a=440 Hz while preserving its authentic turn-of-the-century character.

Our opinion

This is a truly beautiful and perfectly working instrument. It boasts a wonderfully rich timbre, combined with a flexible embouchure that responds effortlessly across the registers. The sound is marvellously free and open. Now fully restored, it is simply prête-à-jouer.