Phenomenal Hand Painted, Rosewood Art Case Steinway "A" 6'1" Grand Piano made in the Steinway & Sons Hamburg, Germany Factory in 1900. We have nicknamed this the "Prince's Love Piano" because of the Romantic Pastoral Scenes painted on the piano and the "Love Story" that they appear to tell. From what we can determine after it was made this piano was sold and shipped to a Prince in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland. (we totally rebuilt & restored it during the summer and fall of 2015) It appears that after purchasing the piano he commissioned an artist to create the beautiful custom Romantic scenes which appear to tell a "Love Story". It seems that the Prince wanted to immortalize the love between himself and his lover with this gorgeous work of art. We had an art historian evaluate the paintings and she said "The paintings on the case are Vernis Martin style scenes depicting pastoral scenes of love and romance following the manner of fashionable painters of the mid-18th century, and with gold painted scrolling tendrils and colored flowers and garlands on the case and legs. Vernis Martin was an 18th century technique named for the Martin brothers of Paris, who were instrumental in development and refinement of lacquer in imitation of Asian lacquer" The previous owner's Aunt bought it at Sotheby's Auction house in London in the late 1920's and said it came from a Prince in Switzerland. Steinway & Sons records confirm that the piano was indeed purchased by someone in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland. The romantic pastoral scenes seem to convey some kind of love story especially the two lovers entwined on the lid and a younger version of them that are two baby angels also on the lid. The male figure has a crown of garlands and the woman has red hair and fair skin common for people from northern Europe. The piano itself is an incredible instrument probably one of the best and most expensive money could buy at the time. We just totally rebuilt the piano with a new a Bouldoc Spruce soundboard and pinblock, new Hamburg Steinway wippens and new Steinway NY hammers and shanks. All new strings and Mapes bass strings. We also put on new dampers, put an age appropriate soundboard decal on the soundboard and regilded the plate. The action was just regulated to concert stage performance level. The tone is a rainbow of sublime tones. We had two professional artists restore the original art scenes and it is just an incredible instrument and work of art. This is definitely a one in a million Steinway! Call for price & further details....Sonny 631 475-8046.
