Joannes Maria Anciuti (1674–1744) Contrabassoon (Milan, 1732)
Joannes Maria Anciuti born in Forni di Sopra near Udine worked in Milan and Venice as a maker of woodwind instruments. He often used precious materials such as ivory, silver, rosewood and grenadilla, an African wood. Like all early contrabassoons and despite a total length of 305 cm, his instrument also has only one kink in the boot joint. The bell joint has the form of a dragon’s head; its tongue vibrates when the instrument is played. Salzburg Museum, inv. no. MI 1247











