Alto saxhorn in E flat. Four straight-through Périnet valves. Loop in tuning slide (original short tuning slide). Brass body covered with thick brush-applied lacquer. Three inscriptions stamped on bell. The letters GA appear within a vertical oval cartouche. A horizontal oval cartouche contains: SAXHORN/3111/ALTO; The letters AS [Adolphe Sax] appear containing the inscription: ALTOR SE/G.A PARIS; the numbers 1,2,3,4 are stamped on the respective valve casings.
This instrument was made by Gautrot Aîné, who had been granted a license to build Sax instruments. The Sax monogram appears on the bell as a result of a lawsuit between 2856 and 1859 patent infringement when Sax demanded its use as a condition of the licence. The valve arrangement is atypical. It was very rare for the fourth valve on a saxhorn to be in line with the other three. It was usually positioned at the side of the instrument for left hand operation. The instrument may originally have had a number of tuning slides for different keys.
