Description

Solid silver Boehm flute – Buffet Crampon

This solid silver flute was made by Buffet Crampon. The company was founded in Paris 1825 by Denis Buffet-Auger (1783-1841) and became Buffet Crampon when his son, Jean Louis Buffet (1813-1865) married into the Crampon family with Zoë Crampon. The logo and stamp were created in 1844 and still used today.

This flute bears the silver hallmarks of P. Goumas et Cie. Jean Pierre Gabriel GOUMAS (1827–1889) led Buffet Crampon from 1851 to 1885. Initially a carpenter by training, then wind instrument maker, he modernised the industry by introducing steam power to production, expanded into sheet music publishing and officially ran the firm under his own name, P. Goumas et Cie., from 1871 until his retirement in 1885. It was then taken over by Evette and Schaeffer. Although it bears no serial number, we can date this flute to around 1875.

This well-preserved, elegantly crafted French flute with B-foot exemplifies the period’s finest instrument-making. It features seamed tubing. The keywork is finely sculptured with quite large 7.4 mm diameter holes for the ring keys. Its soldered tone-holes are still clear, crisp in shape. The simple crown is secured by a through-screw. The instrument features an exceptionally elegant D-sharp touchpiece alongside an embouchure hole measuring 10.1 mm by 11.9 mm.

Overall, this Buffet Crampon flute is in very nice condition and is supplied in its original snug case with key. The pitch? Around a=437 Hz. In terms of condition, although it was repadded by is previous owner, it could do with some adjustments.

Our opinion

This well-preserved and rare piece of late 19th-century French history is ready for a discerning collector or virtuoso to give it the stage it deserves once more.