Interesting antique C flute bearing the stamp “ (five pointed star) / Medaille d’or / MAHILLON / Paris 1878 / (ribbon log) / C. MAHILLON / Bruxelles / (five pointed star)”

Conical body (cocus?), nickel Boehm-system ring keys, range to C.

Made in Belgium in the 1880’s or 1890’s, but no serial number shown.

Seems to be pitched at A = 435 or a shade below. Pads are good, look new.

Embouchure measures 9.4 X 11.4 mm. Sounding length is 601mm, but remember that this is an inverse conical flute, so sounding length doesn’t mean much.

No wood cracks to the body or foot, but the head socket shows an ancient well-repaired crack that’s about 60 mm long. There are eight tiny holes to either side of the fissure, almost invisible.

We believe the crack was repaired by the “sew it up” method that’s used by some British repair shops. I’m not in favor of this type of crack repair…. HOWEVER, I’ve owned this flute for more than twenty years and in all that time, the crack has not opened or moved. Good case / box with it, not original, probably from the thirties.

$2150