— F OREW ORD — fter nearly 25 years focusing upon auctions of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Judaica, Kestenbaum & Company is delighted to present our inaugural auction of Fine Musical Instruments. In the development of this new venture we thank department administrator Adam Rosenbaum for his tenacity and focus in bringing this sale to fruition; along with the department expert, David Bonsey, who brings decades of knowledge and experience to this undertaking. I will leave it to David to introduce the sale with a brief summary of its contents along with select highlights. Meanwhile to long-standing - and especially new clients - I welcome you to this auction and trust you will enjoy bidding on its multifarious offerings. Daniel E. Kestenbaum — I NTROD UCTI ON — his exciting sale at Kestenbaum & Company marks the return of live auctions of Musical Instruments in New York City after a hiatus of six years. The live auction has been an integral part of the international string instrument trade for over 200 years, and provides an important resource to members of the trade, musicians, and collectors alike, while embracing new technology for the advancement of communication and commerce. Highlights of the sale include an 18th century Italian violin attributed to Gragnani (Lot 98), Modern Italian works by Militello (Lot 95) and Muncher (Lot 42), and French Violin bows by Lapierre (Lot 202) and Bazin (Lot 203). Highlights in Fretted instruments include examples by Gibson (Lot 1), D’Angelico (Lots 6 and 7), Schecter (Lot 2), and Ovation (Lot 3). A good selection of saxophones by Henri Selmer are featured, including Mark VI (Lots 16 and 19) and Balanced Action (Lot 17) models. Particular emphasis has been placed on providing accurate, reliable cataloguing with condition reports to enhance your experience. David Bonsey A T