Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

About this piano:  This lovely Christman & Sons baby grand piano was inspired by the famous Opera “Madame Butterfly”. During the ‘teens and ‘twenties, Madame Butterfly became one of the most celebrated and attended Operas in history and is still a part of standard Operatic repertoire today. In about 1920, the year this piano was built, Japan’s best-known opera singer Tamaki Miura won international fame for her performances as Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly).

In the early 20th Century, it was not uncommon for a wealthy client to visit a piano factory, choose the instrument they preferred among all others, then have the factory commission a specialized cabinet maker and artist to design and build a custom cabinet around the instrument they chose. This piano would have been picked out among many for its fine tone quality, and then a small fortune spent to have the cabinet custom made to suit the client’s preferred décor. Imagine the prestige of having a custom made baby grand piano adorned with hand-painted scenery from Madame Butterfly!

This beautiful piano had sat hidden away for decades in a private collection and had fallen into a sad state of disrepair before we acquired it for our collection.  Luckily, the exquisite Gold Chinoiserie  was remarkably well preserved and our specialized artists were able to restore the exterior to its original grandeur.  The interior of the piano was completely restored to performance quality, and the piano sounds as good as it looks!

We sold this piano to a celebrity client who instantly fell in love with the piano.  The beautiful Gold Chinoiserie was a perfect match for her vintage Hollywood home!  The new owner decided to have the Pianomation player system installed in this piano so that it can play by itself in addition to being played manually by hand!  Over 10,000 songs are available!  Today, the piano is once again the focal point of its elegant home, routinely entertaining guests among the Hollywood elite.

Scroll down to see the piano restoration process!

Piano Restoration Process:

Assessment & Disassembly

Years of storage and neglect have left this beautiful piano quite dirty.  Although the beautiful exterior Chinoiserie is remarkably well preserved, the interior components are worn and deteriorated and the piano is virtually unusable.  Each individual piece is carefully disassembled, labeled and recorded.  Our team of artisans assess the instrument to determine what parts need to be ordered, and what parts will have to be made by us "in house'.

Piano Restoration Process:

Cabinet Repair & Refinishing

Once the piano is disassembled, the cleaning begins.  Our artisans carefully remove years of dirt and debris from the gold Chinoiserie finish, taking extra steps not to damage the beautifully painted surface in any way.  Once the paintings are thoroughly cleaned, our artists painstakingly repair and touch up any damaged areas.  Once the paintings are restored, we apply several coats of clear lacquer to seal and protect the Chinoiserie finish while restoring its rich luster and patina.

Piano Restoration Process:

Soundboard Repair & Re-Stringing

The old brittle strings were dirty and lifeless, making the piano sound "tubby" before restoration.  The strings and harp were removed and the old-growth wood soundboard restored and refinished.  The harp was re-gilded with gold lacquer and a new pin block was made for long-term tuning stability.  The new strings were installed and the piano looks like brand new inside!

Piano Restoration Process:

Action & Keyboard Restoration

The piano action comes to us brittle and dirty with the old felts and leathers deteriorated beyond repair.  The keys and action frame are so dirty that they must be soda blasted to make them clean again.  The piano gets new hammers, shanks, flanges and whippens with all other felt, leather and bushings replaced in the piano.  The original ivory keyboard is repaired and the ivory restored and polished to look brand new again!  After assembly, regulation and tuning, the piano is now ready to be delivered to it's new home!

PHOTOS OF PIANO

AFTER COMPLETE RESTORATION

This stunning piano is once again a true showpiece. Our specialized artists have restored the delicate artwork, bringing back the vibrant beauty of the Chinoiserie while maintaining the original patina. Interior restoration has made the instrument play and sound like it did when it was new.