"The Pearl" (almost certainly Rettburg & Lange) 5-string banjo Circa 1908
This banjo is unmarked, but it's certainly distinctive with its mother of pearl fingerboard inlaid with abalone figures. It was sold by Sears and is listed in a 1908 catalog as "The Pearl" (see page below), but it was almost certainly made by Rettburg & Lange, since it has their standard hardware and their characteristic heel shape (thanks to Alan Feves for the Sears catalog info). One interesting feature of the banjo is that it has a deeper drum than most from this period, being over 2-5/8" deep, compared to 2" to 2-1/2" on most standard silver rim banjos.
