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Béchonnet musette
France
Made by Joseph Béchonnet
1880
Lent by the Musée des musiques populaires, Montluçon
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These bagpipes, made by Joseph Béchonnet (1820—1900)
of Effiat, have been meticulously crafted with remarkable skill. One of the characteristics
of Béchonnet's bagpipes is a miniscule drone inserted into the back of the stock,
giving it a rounded shape. These have bellows, which Béchonnet introduced to replace
the blowpipe, a large drone, and a stock containing a chanter with a parallel drone and a
high-pitched drone at the back. A new cover has recently been added to the leather bag.
The instrument is made of ebony and the wood of a fruit tree painted black, and has ivory
and bone rings. The chanter is signed as follows: Béchonnet. A. Effiat. Puy-de
Dôme. The bellows: Béchonnet. A. Effiat. Puy-de-Dôme. 1880.
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