09/01/2026
Hug & Co. Zürich E♭ Sopranino Saxophone c.1920s - Couesnon Attributed
An exceptionally rare early E♭ sopranino saxophone, retailed by Hug & Co. of Zürich, Switzerland, and dating to approximately the early-to-mid 1920s. Based on extensive comparison with surviving period instruments and contemporary documentation, we believe this instrument was manufactured in France by Couesnon & Cie., although we are conservatively presenting the maker attribution rather than representing it as definitive.
At approximately 17 inches in overall length, this is a true early sopranino rather than a soprano or novelty saxophone. Couesnon is documented as manufacturing E♭ sopraninos during this period: the company's 1912 price list offered sopraninos in multiple grades, while its 1924 catalog specifically references the Couesnon sopranino. Most compellingly, a scholarly study published by the American Musical Instrument Society documents an early E♭ sopranino whose construction is described as otherwise identical to a Couesnon sopranino dated 1923.
An exceptionally rare early E♭ sopranino saxophone, retailed by Hug & Co. of Zürich, Switzerland, and dating to approximately the early-to-mid 1920s. Based on extensive comparison with surviving period instruments and contemporary documentation, we believe this instrument was manufactured in Fran...