Pair of Transverse Flutes. Culture: German. Dimensions: Total Height (with longest corps de rechange): 24 1/2 in. (62.2 cm). Maker: Johann Wilhelm Oberlender (the Elder) (German, Nürnberg 1681-1763 Nürnberg). Date: mid-18th century.While wind instruments were generally not favored by gentlemen amateurs and aristocrats, recorders and flutes were notable exceptions. Flutes paired well with the voice and harp, popular instruments of the music room or salon. The flute's louder volume and ability to produce more dramatic dynamic contrasts led to its dominance over the recorder in both private and public music making in the first decades of the eighteenth century.Professional musicians generally used flutes made from wood. This pair's use of ivory and the ornate leather-covered case, which ostentatiously displays the instruments side by side instead of efficiently storing them in stacking trays, as is typical, suggest an aristocratic owner. Pairs of high-quality flutes such as these were s