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Hi, Everyone:
A friend sent me this picture today from a museum he did not identify. Do you know anything about it? I mean, I'm figuring it's some kind of European style, and likely not brand new, but other than that I don't know.
Attachment 179507
Thanks!
It looks like it has the date "1891" on the headstock.
It has a number of features that suggest Catania, Sicily. However, we cannot see the back of the instrument which would be useful. Those inlays are very common and were probably imported from Germany. It is just possible that this mandolin was made by a transplanted Sicilian somewhere else.
The inlays were common on American made instruments as well, the body shape is unusual. Bohmann used those inlays as well as the fretboard inlays.
Indeed, I would not be surprised if this mandolin had been made in the USA by someone from Italy.