Ritelli - Albert Deblaye Mirecourt - - Banjo mandolin - 1910

Exceptional Banjoline - Maison Albert Deblaye (Mirecourt) - Signed Ritelli
A rare witness of early 20th-century French luthiery, this 8-string banjoline bears the Ritelli mark, one of the exclusive signatures of master luthier Albert Deblaye, whose name is here inscribed in fine luthiery on the headstock, a rarity compared with models usually signed lower down on the body.
Its solid walnut construction, with perfect stability, supports an original maple bridge as well as a four-hook tailpiece for stringing. The skin is of exemplary tension and perfectly sound, while the openwork gallery in nickel-plated brass and the bronze tuners with amber ivory buttons complete this instrument in its original patina.
Having contacted the Déblaye house, it is possible that it was built during his lifetime, but they could not confirm it to me.