RETAILED BY HARROD'S, LONDON, THE MOVEMENT BY BY C. BECHSTEIN OF BERLIN, NO.123597, CIRCA 1925

Details

A Fine Berlin giltwood and black and red-japanned grand piano**
Retailed by Harrod's, London, the movement by By C. Bechstein of Berlin, No.123597, Circa 1925
Decorated allover with chinoiserie landscapes, figures and birds, the hinged top enclosing a red-japanned interior decorated with a floral spray, and a similarly-decorated music stand, the base with pierced scrolling apron and cabriole supports, the works labelled C. BECHSTEIN BERLIN with a roundel depicting a lion and shield and SCHUTZ MARKE C. BECHSTEIN, and a label inscribed with SUPPLIED BY/HARROD'S/LTD LONDON/NO. H54270, inscribed above the fingerboard C. BECHSTEIN and Harrod's Ltd S.W.1.
Open: 74½ in. (189 cm.) high; Closed: 39¾ in. (101 cm.); 61 in. (155 cm.) wide; 106 in. (269.5 cm.) long

Provenance

The Mountbatten family, U.K.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Bechstein (d.1900) apprenticed in Germany with piano maker Johan Gleitz. To expand his expertise, he traveled to Paris, where he observed French piano ateliers, including Erard. In 1853, Carl established his own workshops in Berlin, with the goal of producing pianos suitable for the vigorous playing style of the contemporary Romantic pianists. So successful were the results, that the Bechstein firm eventually supplied instruments to celebrated composers including Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss and Franz Liszt. Liszt's Bechstein concert grand still resides in the salon of the Liszt Museum in Weimar and has been recently restored by the Bechstein factory. As the company's fame grew, international exports flourished, as is evidenced in the present example, which was sold by the renowned retailer Harrod's of London. Bechstein branches were eventually set up in London, Paris, St. Petersburg and Moscow. After Carl's death, his sons Johann, Carl & Edwin continued the management of the company.

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