One-of-a-kind, ≈120 y/o French master cello with Jean-Jacques RAMPAL Certificate of Authenticity

Update of 6/5/2025: sale at purchase price, considerably below independent expert appraisal.

Rare, sonorous, ready-to-play cello made ca. 1900 by Mirecourt-based Paul Alexandre MANGENOT (1862–1942), featuring intricate decorations and a «dragon head».
One of only few authentic French cellos in good condition that showcase 19th century French workmanship while paying homage to the ornately stylised instruments of Giovanni Paolo Maggini from the early 1600’s.

Made of premium maple and evenly grown alpine spruce, stored for decades before processing.

Thanks to its wide waist, wide lower bout and high arching, this cello offers sonority, volume and depth – boasting formidable carrying capacity in all scales –, responding easily with smooth, even clarity across all strings, thus satisfying a discerning cellist or collector looking for a sensitive, eye-catching work of art.

Measurements (mm):
■ body: 761
■ bouts width: 343, 250, 448
■ string: 692
■ ƒ-stop: 402
■ neck: 279

Certification: Authenticity Certificate by Jean-Jacques RAMPAL, the Paris-based, globally recognised leading authentication expert on old French string instruments & successor of Étienne Vatelot; value certificate.