Important Boxwood Flute by Thomas Prowse Sr., c. 1820

Description

Important Flute by Thomas Prowse. Sr., London
Museum Piece, Built c.1820
Please read the entire description, and the AUCTION TERMS below, BEFORE bidding!
Greetings! I offer this extremely rare flute by Thomas Prowse, Sr., of London, England. Prowse was active as a maker and dealer from 1816-68. He had worked for Clementi & Son. Examples of his flutes are in a number of important collections. This appears to be one of his early instruments, probably dating to 1820 or so. This is AN EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT that is about two centuries old. It appears to be made of boxwood throughout, with animal bone mounts and 4 square brass keys,
all of which have turned-and-carved box mounts. The F key appears to be a period replacement as it lacks the decorative marks of the others. All sections are clearly marked "T. Prowse / Hanway Street / London". The headjoint cap is a crude replacement; the original would have been made of eye-very.
The
instrument plays D to d at about A=454 (High Pitch) and has a sounding length from the center of the embouchure to the end of the foot of 517mm/20-11/32"
. Overall length is 591mm/23-1/4".
CONDITION:
Cosmetically good
overall, playable, but it really should have an expert restoration to be completely historically correct and fully functional. The original headcap could be reproduced in acetate. There are no visible cracks in the instrument. The upper joint tenon has been fitted in cork and really should be redone with thread. The middle joint is a bit loose and should also be redone in thread. The foot rotates but doesn't want to come off, and I'm not going to risk damaging it; I'll leave it to the experts. The rings are original and are intact with no cracks. At some point it was repadded with what appear to be round clarinet pads. The instrument is s
old AS-IS with no warranties. See pictures. WYSIWYG.
PLAYING QUALITIES:
It is p
layable, and I can produce the entire compass for two full octaves, but should be gone over by an expert restorer. HOWEVER, it is sold as a collectible or for restoration only.
NOTE that I make no representations made about its suitability for your intended use.
ACCESSORIES:
NONE: No case.
See pictures; WYSIWYG.
SHIPPING:
Insured shipping via USPS will be . Located in
Syracuse NY. BUYER IS WELCOME TO PICK UP THE ITEM AND PAY UPON PICKUP.
NOTE:
I will sell only to the final recipient/end user.
I WILL NOT
sell to 3rd-Party buyers/reshippers such as SEKAIMON or US-BUYER.
NO EXCEPTIONS.
3rd Party buyers/reshippers will have their bids cancelled and their user IDs blocked.
THE STRAIGHT DOPE:
Although it needs work to be easily playable and completely period-correct, this extremely rare and important flute by Thomas Prowse, Sr., of London is a museum piece that would make a superb addition to your collection
. All sales FINAL unless I determine that I significantly misrepresented it. I'll be happy to answer any questions about the instrument itself. Thanks for looking and good luck bidding!
TERMS:
Here are the
10
SIMPLE RULES
for this auction.
PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THEM BEFORE BIDDING:
1)
Your bid on this item indicates that you have read the description, and agree to the terms below.
NO OFF-EBAY SALES. If you want this item, bid per eBay's rules.
2)
DO NOT PAY until you have received an INVOICE FROM ME, via eBay's checkout system.
3)
PAYMENT BY EBAY'S PAYMENT SYSTEM ONLY, within 3 days of invoice, OR ON PICKUP BY PRE-ARRANGEMENT.
NON-PAYING BIDDERS WILL BE REPORTED.
4) No reserve, so bid to own it.
5) SOLD STRICTLY AS IS. It's a used item, not a new item. I have striven to represent it accurately. No refunds unless I determine it to be SIGNIFICANTLY MISREPRESENTED.
6)
SHIPPING:
INSURED SHIPPING VIA USPS WILL BE . U.S. BUYERS ONLY.
BUYER IS WELCOME TO PICK UP THE ITEM AND PAY UPON PICKUP.
7) SALES TAX: Buyer pays sales tax per eBay's policies.
8) FEEDBACK will be left for all transactions. If you are not satisfied with the item, PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK, and I will do my utmost to resolve the issue to your satisfaction. If you are satisfied with the item and transaction, please leave Positive feedback with all 5-star ratings.
9) I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL bids from suspicious or demonstrated non-paying bidders.
10) I reserve the right to end this listing early in the event the item is sold locally.
I do my utmost to honestly and accurately describe and picture my items. The pics tell the story. Message me with questions prior to auction close, I'll gladly answer. If you want to phone, message me for my number. All you nice honest folks out there, thanks for looking! Happy Bidding and Good Luck!
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