Mandolin Luigi BALBIANI made by LABERTE HUMBERT FRERES in Mirecourt (Vosges - France) circa 1905.
The spruce table and two intertwined roses are bordered with maple and ebony stringing, mother of pearl motifs in a band of black mastic.
Contour of the table composed of diamond mother of pearl and ebony.
Tortoiseshell scratchplate decorated with nacre.
Ebony bridge.
Rosewood fingerboard, mother of pearl dots, sixteen frets.
Head veneered of rosewood, mother of pearl star, nickel-plated mechanical, bone buttons.
Twenty one rosewood ribs separated by a stringing of light wood
Neck veneered of rosewood.
Contours of rosewood.
Labelled:
FABBRICATORE D' INSTRUMENTI
BALBIANI LUIGI
SPECIALITA DI MANDOLINI
NAPOLI
Length: 592 mm
Little restoration on the table
Intertwined double rosettes was supposed to improve the power of sound.
Thus, these mandolins were described in the catalog of LABERTE HUMBERT FRERES 1905 where they appear as new.
They were also marketed under the name of BOCARI.
Note that in 1912 they are no longer offered in catalog
