Rare Cello Sells for £50,000

A rare early Cello sold for £50,000 (all figures exclude buyer’s premium) in Tennants Auctioneers’ Scientific & Musical Instruments Sale on 15^th May, having attracted keen private and trade bidders from around the country. The wonderful instrument had a 20 3/16” two-piece back, and according to accompanying paperwork from a stringed instrument specialist, the cello dated from the late 18^th century and was probably English.  From the same vendor was a good Cello Bow, stamped ‘C Thomasin a Paris’, a well-regarded maker, which was sold for £8,000.

A Private Collection of Guitars and Amps in the sale saw buoyant prices throughout, with notable results seen for a selection of vintage valve amps, such a Fender Super Amp (sold for £1,900) and a Fender Vibrolux Reverb Amp (sold for £1,800). Amongst the modern high-quality guitars was a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Relic LPR8, which sold for £4,800, and a Gibson Les Paul Guitar Custom Shop LPR0, which sold for £2,800.

Selling well, too, was an impressively sized fine and rare Coin-Operated upright 22-Inch Polyphon Disk Musical Box-on-Discbin, which sold for £5,500. Rarely offered at auction, this late 19^th century model had a twin glockenspiel accompaniment, and a superb tonal quality when played. Amongst the rest of the sale, the camera section of the sale saw a 100% sold rate, with good prices seen for medium format cameras, such as a Mamiyar 7ii Camera, which sold for £1,400, and amongst the Scientific Instruments a Kinora Mutoscope Viewer with a flick reel depicting high jumping sold for £480.

The sale realised a total hammer price of £151,130, with an 88% sold rate for the 185 lots.

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