A late 19th or early 20th century flute made from grenadilla. The instrument is in mint condition and fully playable. The head section shows signs of intensive use. Under the left thumb is a light area in the wood. This is probably part of the sapwood of the mpingo tree, which is very light in colour contrary to the hardwood which is almost black. I could not find much about the maker C(harles?) Mahillon. He is almost without doubt related to Charles Victor Mahillon, founder of the Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM) in Brussels. The Mahillon family was very famous in Belgium for their wind instruments.I can remember fluegelhorns and euphoniums with the brandname Mahillon from my early days at the local wind band.