One of a kind museum grade sitar by Rikhi Ram

This instrument is the finest sitar made both in sound and art by one of the masters of the art, Pandit Rikhi Ram, at the peak of his artistry. as far as I know, it is one of a kind or one of very few.it was built from 1952 until its completion in 1954 at his newly established workshop in New Delhi in the years following partition. Pt. Rikhi Ram apprenticed in Lahore during the 40s in both sitar making and the artforms of marquetry and carving. Lahore being one of the premier centers of the crafts for generations, Rikhi Ram absorbed the older 19th and early 20th century style and tradition of instrument making and decorating. the preceding years in what would become Pakistan having been the golden age of craft for many instruments in the classical canon.This instrument is a documentation of his training and skill in the older style of sitar building. it is larger like a surbahar (bass sitar) but still made with the tumba base (gourd resonator). it is made of fine teak, with accents, inlay, and carving in ebony, bone, and ivory. it is lightweight and has a beautiful deep timbre with amazing sustain, harmonically rich, and the sympathetic strings shimmer with many harmonics despite there being fewer than on modern instruments. instruments like these became known as necklace sitars, but were made in the modern sitar style as soon as the late 50s. I have seen three other large instruments made in the older style by Rikhi Ram, each with about half the decorative features and beautiful styling on them as this one. this sitar, while fully decorated, maintains a minimalist and elegant style that is both subtle and complete. Rikhi Ram spent two years of his life making this instrument at a time when his newly established company was making instruments every day.It is difficult to place a value on instruments like this. the vintage Indian instrument market is undervalued, I would say. there is so much artistic, historical, and cultural value in beautiful documentations of the old style of instrument art form such as this. this is an instrument that needs to be cared for and treasured. lightly played, but not played into the ground. I am pricing it high so it doesn't disappear and so that conversations about where it will go next have time to unfold. I have been a very fortunate caretaker for this instrument for a time, having acquired it from the family for whom it was made and gifted I am told. please don't hesitate to start a conversation if you or someone you know is interested and able to be its next caretaker. thank you so much.I'm going to grad school, changing careers from being a musician and manager at a guitar store to going into social work. I'm selling a lot of the instruments I thought I never would sell. (if anyone knows any collectors interested in museum grade instruments that are pieces of history from the best makers of classical instruments from India, please message me, I have two very rare pieces I would like to find a good home for). watch my other listings to see what else comes up. thank you, please let me know if you have any questions.