Queen Marie Antoinette’s 'Trianon guitar', gifted to her by King Louis XVI, is up for auction

Queen Marie Antoinette's guitar, which was gifted to her by her husbandKing Louis XVI, will besold at an auction this week.The finely decorated instrument was made by Jacques-Philippe Michelot in 1775. And, it was given by the queen to Louise Elisabeth de Lostanges, marquise de la Rochelambert, who was her close friend. They played and sang together in the Petit Trianon, Neoclassical château in Versailles.

The instrument is made of spruce and rosewood and has an inlaid of mahogany and ivory.From the last two centuries, the instrument has been preserved in the country home of the Rochelambert family. In 1835, the marquise, who survived the revolutionary terror by fleeing to Switzerland, bequeathed the instrument to her nephew.

The marquise wasabout the same age as the queenand she was a member of her inner entourage. She was praised for her musical talent and voice. The two women often performed together at the Versailles and shared a close bond. Meanwhile, the marquise’s parents were regulars in the king’s court. Her godfather was Louis de Bourbon, Dauphin of France.

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The boat-shaped guitar will go on sale at the Aguttes auction house in Neuilly-sur-Seine on December 9. The so-called “Trianon guitar” has been kept in “remarkable condition”.

The marquise’s family preserved the guitar in the ensuing centuriesand now one of her descendants is putting itup for auction. And, it is expected to fetch somewhere between€60,000 to €80,000.

At the auction, another item for sale is a sword believed to have belonged to Marie Antoinette’s first page, Charles Bonnin de la Bonninière de Beaumont. According to historical records, the Queen was so “intimate” with the young aristocrat that she addressed him with the familiar “tu” pronoun, which was a rare honour back in the days at Versailles. The gilded bronze and silver sword is estimated to fetch somewhere between €1,500 and €2,000.

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