Tenor valve trombone 1857 - 1867

This tenor valve trombone was conceived by Adolphe Sax, the innovative instrument maker, probably in nineteenth-century France. It's fabricated primarily from brass, a metal valued for its acoustic properties and golden hue. Look closely, and you’ll notice the combination of hand-crafting and industrial manufacturing in the details of the instrument. The tubing has been bent, soldered, and polished by hand, yet the valves suggest the precision of machine production. The trombone's form is directly related to its function, but also to the cultural life of nineteenth-century Europe. Musical instruments like this one played a key role in the rise of orchestras and concert halls, supporting a growing population of professional musicians. The production of instruments was tied to larger social issues, involving specialized labor and distribution networks that extended across Europe. Considering the ingenuity and craftsmanship required to make an object like this one allows us to rethink the conventional boundary between craft and industrial design.