BY PLEYEL, SERIAL NUMBER 150735, CIRCA 1910

Details

A FRENCH PARCEL-GILT MAHOGANY AND OIL-ON-CANVAS BABY-GRAND PIANO
BY PLEYEL, SERIAL NUMBER 150735, CIRCA 1910
The hinged lid inset with panels painted with a scene of wood nymphs giving a recital, signed 'H BODIS', the sides inset with panels painted with music-making cloudbourne putti, with gilt-engraved strapwork and oak-leaf wreaths between, the fall signed 'PLEYEL PARIS', on baluster tapering legs with brass caps and castors, with serial number '150735', the carcass stamped '38572 38F572 150735 F'
39¾ in. (101 cm.) high, closed; 67 in. (170 cm.) wide; 58¼ in. (148 cm.) deep

Literature

'Le centenaire de la Maison Pleyel', in L'Art Décoratif: Revue de la Vie artistique ancienne et moderne, Jan-June 1909, pp. 175-188.

M. Rutten, 'The Art Case Piano', in The Galpin Society Journal, May 2005, pp. 168-172.

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.

Sale room notice

The Pleyel archives records this lot as piano queue, modle 3 bis, plaqueé noyer uni with painted panels by Henri Bonis. Construction began on 9 May 1910 and was completed on 18 July 1910. It was sold for 1,950 francs (plus 2,800 francs for the decoration by Henri Bonis) on 25 April 1911 to Messieurs Schwab frères, 25 rue de Trévise, Paris.
A historical painter, Bonis studied in Paris and exhibited portraits at the Salon from 1893. He worked closely with Henri Martin, with whom he collaborated in the 'Salon d'Introduction' at the Hotel de Ville de Paris.

Brought to you by

Anne Qaimmaqami

Check the condition report or get in touch for additional information about this

aqaimmaqami@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2332

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

This piano was made towards the end of the 'Golden Age' of piano making and belongs to a type, the art-case piano, which was usually designed for and commissioned by a specific client. As such, an art-case piano was considered an individual expression of culture and sophistication. Because of the highly specialized skills involved in their production, most of these pianos left the factory in a 'blank' state, to be ornamented by another workshop to a client's precise requirement. However, Pleyel, a prominent piano-making firm who had been awarded the Grand Prix at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle for their art-case pianos, were an exception to this practice, for often the painting, ormolu mounts and carving were completed in-house by employing 'the best' artists of the day. Although it has not been possible to find any information on 'H. Bodis', the signature on the painted panels of the present example, he or she was almost certainly the artist responsible for the decoration.

More from The Opulent Eye - 500 Years Decorative Arts Europe

View All