Buhner & Keller 9-keyed Bassoon: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This bassoon was made by Buhner & Keller in Strasbourg, France, around 1730-1737. It is a 9-keyed bassoon made of stained maple with brass ferrules and keys. The bassoon is stamped:

This instrument was acquired from the collection of Leopoldo Franciolini in 1892. Leopoldo Franciolini (1844–1920) was an Italian antique dealer who flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is remembered as a fraudster who sold faked and altered historical musical instruments.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: ca 1730 - 1737
• Object Name: bassoon
• Physical Description: maple (overall material)
• Physical Description: brass (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 126.5 cm; 49 13/16 in
• Measurements: bell: 12 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in; 32.385 cm x 5.715 cm
• Measurements: long joint: 23 3/4 in x 2 3/8 in x 1 1/2 in; 60.325 cm x 6.0325 cm x 3.81 cm
• Measurements: wing joint: 19 5/8 in x 1 3/4 in x 2 3/4 in; 49.8475 cm x 4.445 cm x 6.985 cm
• Measurements: boot: 17 in x 2 3/4 in x 2 5/8 in; 43.18 cm x 6.985 cm x 6.6675 cm
• place made: France: Grand Est, Strasbourg
• ID Number: MI.095278
• catalog number: 95278
• accession number: 26256
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.