You own "a flute" and would like to know its auction value?
Our auctioneers and experts in the department: Musical instrument give you a few pointers to find out more about your instrument and its value on the art market.
In this article, discover the history and characteristics of a transverse flute, learn how to estimate it and find out its auction price!
3 words on : the flute
The transverse flute, also known as the grande flute, emerged in the Baroque period. It acquired a distinct identity in the early 18th century, thanks to major transformations brought about by the French Hotteterre family. Jacques Martin Hotteterre designed dismountable models, divided into three sections: the head including the mouthpiece, the body, which houses most of the holes, and the foot, which also receives a few holes. Today's modern flute remains composed of these three distinct parts.
Recognizing a flute
The transverse flute is distinguished by its elongated shape and high range, giving it a very clear sound. This instrument allows the production and modulation of notes thanks to its different compositions.
The blow hole is located near the mouthpiece, adjusting the amount of air entering the flute. Finger holes are arranged along the instrument to easily modulate the sound.
The body can be designed in metal, wood or synthetic material. The valve at the end of the body regulates the sound intensity.
Rings along the body ensure the flute's stability in play. The stem adjusts the intonation of the instrument. The key, positioned at the end of the stem, holds the stem in place when playing the flute.
Various elements can also be incorporated into the transverse flute, such as dampers to modulate sound intensity, or additional keys that expand the range of notes, including even higher registers.
Estimating the value of a flute
The material
Silver flutes are less valuable than precious metals, such as silver, but still sell for between 150 and 550 euros on the auction market. Maillechort transverse flutes, particularly those made in the 19th century with Boehm keys, are worth around a thousand euros. Beware, a history, a provenance can greatly add to the value of your flute.
Models with silver keys, particularly Baroque flutes, can be worth up to 6,000 euros, depending on the flute maker. Models associated with Carlo Palanca, for example, are still highly sought-after.
Some flutes are also made in platinum, solid gold or silver. Some models feature only the head or mouthpiece covered in these precious metals. Mouthpieces can also be adorned with chasing, elegant motifs, or even precious stones and diamonds. A Jack Leef flute in gold was thus estimated at 20,000 euros.
The brand
Antique flutes in the French tradition are gaining in popularity year after year. Models by Louis Lot, a French manufacturer from the 19th and early 20th centuries, for example, are considered works of art and are highly prized by collectors.
The company Boehm & Mendler, also active in the 19th century, contributed to the development of the modern transverse flute, with the Boehm key system, developed by flute makers Theobald Boehm and Auguste Buffet.
Most popular contemporary flute brands also include:
- Muramatsu, a Japanese flute specialist renowned for making top-of-the-range transverse flutes. The brand is widely recognized for its craftsmanship.
- Haynes has been an American manufacturer of fine professional transverse flutes since the early 20th century.
- Verne Q. Powell is another renowned American flute maker. The Powell Sonaré range is one of the best known and most affordable while maintaining high quality.
- Altus is a Japanese brand of high-end transverse flutes. Altus models are appreciated for their sonic characteristics.
- Yamaha produces a wide range of musical instruments, including transverse flutes renowned for their consistent quality.
- Misashi Miyazawa, founder of the Miyazawa Flutes brand in 1969, founded his company on the conviction that each flute is a fusion of traditional techniques and revolutionary advances. Miyazawa brand transverse flutes are made by hand.
Status
More or less serious damage to a flute is particularly due to poor storage. An instrument kept in a clean, dry, padded case is better protected from shocks and sudden temperature changes. However, buyers can acquire a flute for restoration, if it comes from a renowned maker and if its condition allows for a suitable repair.
In short, to value your flute, you need to look at its make, the material it's made of, any special features, its history and its state of preservation. In the light of these elements, you can determine whether your flute is worth 50 euros or whether it could fetch thousands.
Sales of flutes
An exceptional Claude Laurent transverse flute, owned by Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland, fetches 37,000 euros at an auction in France.
This rare instrument, listed in the collections of Monaco's Napoleonic Museum, is a four-key flute in fluted cobalt mounted on pivots in accordance with the 1806 patent.
It can be dismantled into three parts, signed and dated on one of the rings: "Laurent à Paris 1813".
The instrument is carefully preserved in an Empire-style mahogany case, decorated with a brass escutcheon on the lid and lined with skin, with three storage rails inside.
Louis Bonaparte, a great flute enthusiast, took lessons with Professor Drouët. His son, Louis Napoléon, also owned a Claude Laurent flute model.
Another transverse flute also signed Laurent from the Kaltenbach collection was bought for 27,000 euros at an auction in Vichy in 2019.
Discover some of the flutes sold at Millon auctions and have yours appraised.
Sales in the tens of thousands of euros remain rare on the market. Prices generally don't rise above a few hundred euros. Millon presents all types of instruments for sale.
- gold and silver transverse flute by Verne Q. Powell, Boston, bearing number HC-2701, with leather case, estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 euros is sold for 3,000 euros.
- beautiful LOUIS LOT transverse flute bearing the mark "LL LOUIS LOT PARIS BREVETE 3812". In silver-plated metal, it is still in its original case. This transverse flute in need of restoration, estimated between 800 and 1,200 euros is sold for 1,400 euros;
- BUFFET CRAMPON transverse flute bearing the iron mark "BUFFET CRAMPON A PARIS. Breveté. Number 471". The silver-plated instrument in need of restoration sold for 700 euros with an estimated price of between 50 and 80 euros;
Get a free estimate for my flute
Based on their experience of the art market, our team of auctioneers and experts in the department - Musical Instruments - will give you a free estimate for your musical instruments. This estimate takes into account the results obtained in auction rooms for similar productions.
Our experts carry out a free and confidential estimate of your posters, then accompany you to sell it at auction for the best price.
