Delving into the history of musical instrument collections, one discovers that the spirit in which princes, patrons, musicians and instrument makers, as well as scholars and lovers of fine objects, amassed large holdings reflects the significance they attached to the instruments. As a result, the historical message that these objects, extant or lost, convey to us varies greatly according to the original collector's purpose, and while this message is of prime importance to the history of mentalities and culture, its relevance to music history varies greatly too. As a general rule, if attention is not paid to an instrument's provenance , many of its characteristics may be overlooked. Depending on whether it comes from an instrumentarium established by a chapel, a prince, or a musical institution, whether it belonged to a collection of miscellaneous art objects, or whether it was played by a professional or an amateur, it will bear traces that certify of alter its worth as documentary testimony illustrative of a given era.