1820 Johan Jerner 10-string Swedish Lute natural

Good condition, 6,5/10, Made in Sweden, no case, spruce top and maple body, 5 repaired cracks in the top, the finish has been sanded down, brass frets, repaired back, 6 strings over the fingerboard and 4 bass strings, possible to restore to playing condition, we have found this instrument in a list of all known Swedish Lutes on http://tabulatura.com/SITTRA7.htm where it is stated that it is part of a private collection, Christer Ruteskog, more info from the Museum of Kalmar County (written by Kenneth Sparr):

Svensklutor are certainly not unusual to find outside of Stockholm, although most were made precisely in Stockholm by one of the professional instrument makers there, with prominent names such as Matthias Petter Kraft, Johan Jerner and Lorents Mollenberg. The Svensklutan, which is a unique Swedish phenomenon, had its heyday between c. 1780 and 1820 and it was mainly used to accompany singing with a focus on the so-called the Åhlström song repertoire or the company song, but also songs from the contemporary opera repertoire. There is some solo and ensemble music preserved, which shows that the instrument was also used in other contexts.

The tuning of the instrument from lowest to highest string was A, B, c#, d, e, f#, g#, a, b, c#1, d1, e1, a1, c#2 and e2. The Swedish lute had taken this tuning from cistern, from which it can also be said that the Swedish lute developed. This mood is easy for the beginner, but has great limitations when you want to play more advanced. The instrument maker was Johan Jerner, for a long time active in Stockholm and roughly contemporary with the time's leading instrument maker and the considerably more productive Matthias Peter Kraft. We lack information about Johan Jerner's exact place and time of birth. The place of birth may be Stockholm and his birth time either 1755, 1758 or 1759. It is certain that he was a journeyman with the instrument maker Johan Öberg d y during the period 1778-1781. Jerner requested in 1788 to take the master's exam and this consisted of "a Citra well finished by him". He had his residence in 1789-1790 on Skomakaregatan in Gamla Staden, Stockholm. Later moved to Svartmangatan and later lived in the quarters of Ceres, Cassiopeia to move back to Svartmangatan 4 in 1820 in a property that still stands. He received his privileges in 1791, the same year he also made his first surviving Swedish lute. Johan Jerner seems to have mainly worked alone and only after 1810 did he have apprentices, first Daniel Lindahl and later Carl Öberg.

"Jerner is liked to be thought of as the type of the capable, unassuming craftsman of the time, who remains a resident in the surroundings where he once drove down his piles, who has little claims on existence, and who, according to today's id, rests in the family circle." In 1814 a doctor's certificate was issued stating that Jerner "is lame in one side and cannot earn anything" and his apprentices probably had to do most of the work. Johan Jerner died in 1820 and the cause of death was "nervous stroke" according to the Storkyrkoförsamlingen's death book. His estate record has been preserved and according to it, his workshop was valued with its inventory by the musical instrument makers Daniel Wickström and Jerner's apprentice Carl Öberg. The inventory includes five unfinished violins, parts for a cello, six old broken violins, a guitar, etc. "In order to cover the funeral expenses, an old violoncello with 'fouteral', some tools and wood for instruments had to be pawned."'In addition to lutes, Jerner and his workshop also made and repaired instruments of the entire violin family, but also harps, zithers and guitars. This combination was very common and there are some unifying techniques in the construction of the various instruments.

PLEASE NOTE; AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND ADVICE FROM HISTORIANS WE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO RESTORE THESE OLD INSTRUMENTS AS THEY DESERVE TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF A DEDICATED MUSEUM/COLLECTOR WHO UNDERSTANDS THEIR TRUE VALUE EVEN WITH THE FLAWS THAT THEY MAY HAVE AFTER A LONG LIFE. SO TAKE NOTE THAT THIS INSTRUMENT IS SOLD AS-IS WITHOUT WARRANTY, PREFERABLY TO SOMEONE WHO CAN PICK IT UP IN OUR STORE AND SEE THE CONDITION THEMSELVES AS WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DESCRIBE EVERY DETAIL. BUT WE DO SHIP WORLD WIDE. /THE MUSEUM DIVISION OF OSCAR GUITARS