Nicolo PAGANINI (Violin): His personal bloodletting kit

Description

Paganini, Nicolò. (1782-1840)
The Personal Bloodletting Set of Paganini
A most macabre relic, being the bloodletting set formerly owned and used by the Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer, the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time and one the most colorful musical figures of the Romantic era. French, ca. 1820, consisting of three domed-shape glasses with a brass twist spouts and a scarification tool of brass, contained in a fitted walnut box measuring 22 x 14 x 9.5 cm. Stamped "Chappiere a Paris," possibly lacking a piece or two, but otherwise in fine condition.
With remarkable provenance from the collection of the eldest son of Achilles Paganini, Andrea (1844-1918), by descent through his heirs. For many years this item resided in the collection housed in the Villa Gaione di Parma: first by Achilles, then by his sons Andrea, Attila and Giovanni. In the first half of the 20th century, the Paganini collection was largely dispersed, with portions going to the Italian State (Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome), the Library of Congress in Washington, and to various private collectors. The present item has remained with the heirs until recently, when it was part of the sale of the remaining collection of the heirs of Nicolo Paganini. Sold together with xeroxed documentation from the original sale, this item and its provenance has been reviewed and authenticated by Dr. Maria Rosa Moretti, one of the world's leading authorities on Paganini.
With a history spanning at least 3000 years, it was only late in the 19th century that bloodletting was discredited as a treatment for most ailments. Harkening back to the Hippocratic notion of illness being caused by an imbalance of the four humors, treatments including bloodletting were designed to essentially remove an amount of the excessive humor by various means. Venesection was the most common procedure and usually involved the median cubital vein at the elbow, but many different veins could be used. Localized bloodletting often in­volv­ed scarification, which meant scraping the skin with a cube-shaped brass box containing multiple small knives, followed by cupping, which involved placing a dome-shaped glass over the skin and extracting the air by suction or prior heating. It is known that Paganini received bloodletting treatment as early as 1796 in Parma, a treatment which weakened him and forced him into a period of rest in his father's house at Romairone in Val Polcevera near San Quirico. The present kit evidently dates from somewhat later, but as a man who suffered from many sicknesses throughout his life - syphilis, Marfan's Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, tuberculosis, malnutrition, colitis, cancer, dental, visual, urological - it is a tool likely used by the great violinist with some regularity.
Schubertiade Music & Arts LLC - BUY WITH CONFIDENCE!
***ALL AUTOGRAPHS GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC WITHOUT LIMIT***
I was the
President
of the
Professional Autograph Dealers Association
from 2013-2018 and a leading and trusted authenticator of autographs, including for many of the world's auction houses and for
James Spence (JSA)
.  Schubertiade Music & Arts are also members in good standing of
ABAA/ILAB
, the most exclusive consortium of Rare Book and Manuscript Dealers in the world, as well as the
MLA
(Music Librarian Association), and
MARIAB
(Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers). You can read more about us by searching for Schubertiade Music & Arts and may
buy with utmost confidence!
SCHUBERTIADE MUSIC & ARTS
deals in Music, Entertainment, Literary and other Autographs, Antiquarian Music, Books, Prints, Photographs & Paintings and Ephemera.  Please read more about us in our "about me" page by clicking next to our username / feedback listing. We issue seasonal and occasional catalogues - please contact us if you would like to receive notifications or let us know about your collection.
Everything we offer is
guaranteed authentic without limit
and is so stated on the signed and detailed receipt which comes with every item. Because this Guarantee is attached to an actual and meaningful money-back guarantee (see our Terms for further details), this is much more significant than most COAs which are generally but worthless pieces of paper if not issued by recognized experts in the field and backed by a real authenticity return policy.
We accept payment by ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS, Check, and by Paypal.
Shipping Charges are as listed and are not subject to negotiation. We will of course be happy to combine shipments and do NOT charge multiple shipping charges except for large/heavy items which naturally affect the cost. We ship exclusively via insured FedEx and pride ourselves on our thorough and expert packaging.