Natural trumpet, C
Maker
Christian Wittmann
Date1795 ca.
Place MadeNuremberg, Germany, Europe
Serial No.none
SignedStamped initials and master’s mark on garland: C [six-point-star, hatched on the right side of each arm, enclosed in circle] WMarkingsStamped on garland: [imperial double eagle with crown] / NÜRN BERG / [imperial double eagle with crown]
DescriptionBrass; garland with straight upper edge and engraved rings; Nuremberg rim, impressed wire with tendrils; alder-wood block with iron nail fixing possibly original binding.
The master’s mark of a six-point-star was originally used by various members of the Ehe dynasty (hatched on the right of each arm: Hans Leonhard Ehe I, and Martin Friedrich Ehe; hatched on the left of each arm: Friedrich Ehe). In 1781 this mark, hatched on the left, was passed on to Christian Wittmann, after it had been vacant for two years, following Martin Friedrich's death. It has therefore been suggested that Wittmann was an apprentice of M. F. Ehe's. Wittmann's activity fell into the period of decline of the Nuremberg trumpet maker's trade, which, stifled by its own rules, did not adapt to the demands for new designs in the second half of the eighteenth century. Wittmann's trumpet follows the old, outdated Nuremberg natural-trumpet model with reduced decoration features. Little care was taken in its execution, showing spinning marks at the bell. The stamped, rather than engraved signature is a sign of rationalization. In 1801 Wittmann was forced to pawn his tools because his business failed.
DimensionsHeight: 755 mm
Tube length: 2386 mm
Bore diameter (initial, minimum): 11.5 mm, 10.7 mm
Bell diameter: 108 mm
ProvenancePurchased in 2003 from Musik-Antik-Philipp, Absam, Austria.
Published ReferencesLarson, André. "Celebrating 30 Great Years . . . Sioux Falls Exhibition Crowns Another Notable Year," National Music Museum Newsletter 30, no. 4 (November 2003), pp. 1-3.
Credit LineBoard of Trustees, 2003
Object number10436
On View
Not on view
