An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950 - photo 1
An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950 - photo 2
An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950 - photo 3
An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950 - photo 4
An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950 - photo 5

An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950

Sold
£ 18 900
Auction dateClassic
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1016415
Lot 183 | An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950
An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950

Charles "Charlie" Jr. Parker

An instrument case, personally owned and used by Charlie “Bird” Parker, dating from his trip to Sweden in November 1950.



According to Peter Harrington, the case was discovered in a second-hand store in Sweden and has been authenticated by the Parker estate. The interior layout and dimensions indicate that it is almost certainly a trombone case, but Parker was notoriously careless about the transport of his horns. The case may have been presented to Parker by one of his many fans during his nine-day Scandinavian trip. On arrival in Stockholm on 19 November 1950, Parker was 'astonished to find a welcoming crowd of Swedish musicians, music critics and jazz fans,' recalls Ross Russell. 'Sensing that we was surrounded by jazz lovers and well-wishers at every step, Charlie abandoned all pretence of play acting and became the artist that he was.' Russell, Bird Lives!, 292.



Cardboard instrument case with black imitation leather finish and red baize lining, painted in white on the lid 'CHARLIE PARKER ‘BIRD’', 860 x 230 x 200 mm. Provenance: Guernsey's, New York, 2 December 2017, lot 76 – Peter Harrington, London.

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.09.2023 – 28.09.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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