Nicolo PAGANINI (Violin): His own opera glass monocle!

Description

Paganini, Nicolò. (1782-1840)
Paganini's Opera Glass Monocle
A pear-shaped telescoping theatre monocular formerly owned and used by the Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer, the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time and one the most colorful musical figures of the Romantic era. A three-drawer Galilean telescope of French manufacture, possibly by Lumiere, ca. 1825, constructed of bone and brass, measuring 6 cm closed and expanding to 12 cm when fully extended, the patent "Brevet d'Invention" stamped with raised laurel leaves around the eye-piece, and an exhibition label from the 1940 Mostra Paganiniana Genova XVIII, affixed around the body, inscribed "[Espositore] Barone P. Paganini / [N.] 55 Milano" and with a green label inscribed with the number 44. In very good condition with some opened cracks visible in the body extending under the exposition label, the optics fully functional with a few minor scratches or abrasions, and the telescope opening smoothly.
With remarkable provenance from the collection of the the eldest son of Achilles Paganini, Andrea (1844-1918), by descent through his heirs. For many years this item resided in the collection housed in the Villa Gaione di Parma: first by Achilles, then by his sons Andrea, Attila and Giovanni. In the first half of the 20th century, the Paganini collection was largely dispersed, with portions going to the Italian State (Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome), the Library of Congress in Washington, and to various private collectors. The present item has remained with the heirs until recently, when it was part of the sale of the remaining collection of the heirs of Nicolo Paganini. Sold together with xeroxed documentation from the original sale, this item and its provenance has been reviewed and authenticated by Dr. Maria Rosa Moretti, one of the world's leading authorities on Paganini.
It is interesting to contemplate the figure of Paganini - himself generally the object of intense focus and fascination - employing this fashionable lorgnette to inconspicuously spy on people at the theater and other places he frequented. For a detailed history of the Monocular, see William Rosenthal "Spectacles and Other Vision Aids: A History and Guide to Collecting," p. 138 - 148.
Schubertiade Music & Arts LLC - BUY WITH CONFIDENCE!
***ALL AUTOGRAPHS GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC WITHOUT LIMIT***
I was the
President
of the
Professional Autograph Dealers Association
from 2013-2018 and a leading and trusted authenticator of autographs, including for many of the world's auction houses and for
James Spence (JSA)
.  Schubertiade Music & Arts are also members in good standing of
ABAA/ILAB
, the most exclusive consortium of Rare Book and Manuscript Dealers in the world, as well as the
MLA
(Music Librarian Association), and
MARIAB
(Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers). You can read more about us by searching for Schubertiade Music & Arts and may
buy with utmost confidence!
SCHUBERTIADE MUSIC & ARTS
deals in Music, Entertainment, Literary and other Autographs, Antiquarian Music, Books, Prints, Photographs & Paintings and Ephemera.  Please read more about us in our "about me" page by clicking next to our username / feedback listing. We issue seasonal and occasional catalogues - please contact us if you would like to receive notifications or let us know about your collection.
Everything we offer is
guaranteed authentic without limit
and is so stated on the signed and detailed receipt which comes with every item. Because this Guarantee is attached to an actual and meaningful money-back guarantee (see our Terms for further details), this is much more significant than most COAs which are generally but worthless pieces of paper if not issued by recognized experts in the field and backed by a real authenticity return policy.
We accept payment by ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS, Check, and by Paypal.
Shipping Charges are as listed and are not subject to negotiation. We will of course be happy to combine shipments and do NOT charge multiple shipping charges except for large/heavy items which naturally affect the cost. We ship exclusively via insured FedEx and pride ourselves on our thorough and expert packaging.