Item 271 recently added to our inventory has now been documented (by an expert technician) as having an original barrel, musical box and a wooden disk bin (the only known original) for the 25 11-3/4" disks stored therein. Several wooden "Kings" were masterfully copied in Eastern Europe, from an original terracotta figure in a famous US collection. Our "King" was purchased in Europe as "one of only several copies", accurate to within 1/1000 inch, according to the European carver. New barrels, new "Kings" and "transplanted" Symphonium musical boxes are regularily appearing for sale in the US and in Europe. Sellers who respond "accurately"??? identify these as "copies", from top to bottom.

The provenance of this particular piece in Europe is well known to us, from it's first 1900s use in an English Pub to the time of our acqusition in late 2002. We are the third-known owners during its 100-year history. This provenance can be provided to any serious collector or prospective buyer, on request.

This piece has undergone an extensive and expensive "historical restoration" by a well-known expert technician. It was during this process that the disk storage bin, musical box mechanism and barrel were confirmed as the only known "original unit." (No other original bin is known to exist as vintage Symphonium literature did not offer a bin as an option.)

Very carefully, a "modern, shiny protective clear finish" was removed, revealing the original finish and brightening the lettering. The wood, the graining and original finish on the barrel and bin are identical. But we will let the (before restoration) pictures of Item 271 speak for themselves.