Romantica 1890 Antica - - Classical guitar - Italy

Old Romantic guitar of the 19th century, Florence: Pilade Maurri, ancient Italian concert guitar, with original cartouche.. Florence, Piazza S. Croce 6, 1880 1890
Called the CHITARRA CHE RIDE (GUITAR THAT LAUGHS), for its smile-shaped bridge.
Made with spruce top and back and sides in walnut
The construction features the typical characteristics of Tuscan lutherie of the period: spruce soundboard, rosette with concentric rings, original shaped bridge and a late 19th-century style headstock.
The patina of the wood, wear consistent with the age, attest to the authenticity and the collecting interest of the instrument.

Together with his brother Pilade he opened a shop specializing in music publishing and a company building mandolins, mandolas and guitars in Florence. The labels on R. Maurri mandolins indicate a shop in Via delle Farine, no. 2, and a workshop in Piazza S. Croce, no. 6.

The Maurri company printed a vast catalog of music for plucked instruments, which today constitutes the Maurri Collection (Curci Ed.). The Raffaello Maurri factory was later acquired by Carlo Schmidl in 1923.[1]

According to musicologist Paul Sparks (1995), the Maurri luthiers are credited with inventing the so-called “Tuscan mandolin” or “Florentine,” characterized by a different tilt of the soundboard and by a number of doubled or single courses varying between 4 and 5.

Condition very good and functional, with a slight warp on one rib as shown in the photographs which are an integral part of the description, and there is a mark on the back but it is part of the restoration that was carried out and also re-polished.
Total measurement 96 cm, with the body’s upper width 27.5 cm and the lower width 34.5 cm.
Fretboard: two brass frets are missing and a pin/key is missing.
Rare piece… nice condition.

Insured shipping and upon pickup I ask the courier to add the inscription: I ACCEPT WITH RESERVATION. This is for any potential damages during transport to cover insurance.