Jean-Charles Otte (1808 – 1876) was a luthier and worked in Miercourt all his life. He sold his instruments to wholesalers such as Michel Mousset (b.1788 in d.1864) who was a major instrument merchant who crisscrossed Europe with a friend who was a lace merchant (Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Prussia)
Otte has made some of the most beautiful guitars and most often he signs discreetly under the table with a pencil, without the knowledge of the workshop manager or the client. The signature in this instrument is below;
Another Otte instrument from the Sinier Ridder vol 2. It bears the label Anciaume who was another Miercourt wholesaler and regularly exhibited instruments from various makers around Europe but the pencil inscription inside shows that it was actually made by Otte.
It is housed in the Musee de la Legion d’honour in Paris and was chosen to represent the very new award by Napoleon Bonaparte; the Legion of Honour.
