This beautiful, solid-silver flute was made by the Bonnevilles – one of France’s finest flute-making workshops. Founded by Auguste Adrien BONNEVILLE (1819-1895), the business would endure three generations of expert instrument makers.

At first glance, we can admire the high level of craftsmanship evident in every millimetre of this flute. The open-hole design and beautifully sculpted pointed keys are striking, as is the C-foot featuring a teardrop D-sharp key.

The lip-plate is very attractive, very clean and entirely original. The embouchure is similar to modern size at 10.3 mm x 12.3 mm. If we head up to the top we can admire the lovely Bonneville crown. The Bonnevilles tended to make flutes in silver-plated maillechort – a type of nickel-silver. This flute is unusual since it is crafted in hallmarked silver throughout. The finish is breathtaking.

This flute consists entirely of original, unmodified parts. It is in remarkable condition, having seen very little use. The tone-holes are finely crafted and remain sharp, as does the mechanism.

Based on recent research by René Pierre (Blog, 2019), this flute number 2444 can be dated to around 1900.

It is tuned to a=440 Hz, but can reach a=442 Hz when the head joint is fully inserted. Its sound is impressively rich, dark, and powerful.

This exceptional solid-silver Bonneville flute possesses unique design features that make it a genuine masterpiece and a true pleasure to play.