Flute
about 1790 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Potters were an important London firm of flute-makers from about 1745 until 1848. Until the early 1830s, flutes were mostly made of boxwood but more expensive examples, like this one, were also made of ivory. After 1832 the Boehm system of interlinking metal keys gradually became more popular with musicians, but it required stronger materials, such as silver, brass and cocus wood, than ivory, which was too brittle.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | turned and bored ivory flute with silver key |
| Brief description | Flute, ivory with one silver key, Potter, English, about 1790. |
| Physical description | "Ivory in four joints, no mounts, with one square silver key'. Anthony Baines, Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 92 |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Potter London (Stamped on the second, third and fourth joints.) |
| Gallery label | FLUTE
English
Stamped Potter London, about 1790
Four ivory joints and silver key.
Non-Keyboard Catalogue No.: 22/3
302-1882(pre September 2000) |
| Object history | This instrument formed part of the collections of Carl Engel and was valued at 15 shilings (£0.75p), when purchased by this museum. |
| Summary | The Potters were an important London firm of flute-makers from about 1745 until 1848. Until the early 1830s, flutes were mostly made of boxwood but more expensive examples, like this one, were also made of ivory. After 1832 the Boehm system of interlinking metal keys gradually became more popular with musicians, but it required stronger materials, such as silver, brass and cocus wood, than ivory, which was too brittle. |
| Bibliographic reference | Anthony Baines: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), p. 92 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 302-1882 |
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| Record created | May 16, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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