The Arts & Crafts Movement in America was most popular from about the 1900 - 1915 period, and had all but disappeared before 1920. Although the Arts & Crafts Movement was a relatively short-lived design era, hundreds of thousands of homes were built and furnished in the popular Craftsman/Mission style. Today, there is a huge Renaissance in the Arts & Crafts Movement. Original Craftsman style homes are being renovated, new Craftsman style homes are being built, and most major furniture lines are manufacturing and selling furnishings in the Craftsman style to reflect the Mission/Arts & Crafts period.
Because the Arts & Crafts movement was such an extreme change from traditional period styles, piano manufactures were very slow to adapt. Very few manufacturers went to the time and expense of adding Craftsman style pianos to their line. By the time these few makers added Craftsman design pianos to their product line, the Arts & Crafts movement seemed to fade away almost as quickly as it came. As a result, Craftsman style pianos are exceedingly rare today.
Adam Schaaf was one of Chicago's larger and more successful piano manufacturers, yet they built only a handful of these Arts & Crafts / Mission style pianos. This lovely piano was built in 1908 during the height of the Arts & Crafts movement in America. It is made of handsome quarter sawn oak wood wood with a beautiful "fumed oak" finish. Note the original candle sconces on either side of the music rack - these are original solid copper sconces with a beautifully aged antique patina. Also note the beautiful Craftsman Style piano bench, complete with mortise & tenon. This bench does appear to be original to the piano. The harp of this piano is adorned with beautifully hand-painted flowers and vines (see photos), further showing the amazing attention to detail that builders like Adam Schaaf put into their instruments.
According to its original turn-of-the-century sales catalog (see photos), this piano was sold as the "Mission Cabinet Grand" model. This instrument is being restored to like-new condition, inside and out. The tone rivals any new upright piano built today. These original Mission style upright pianos are some of the rarest and most desirable pianos in today’s market. A matching oak bench is included. Computerized player mechanisms can be installed if desired.
Note: As founder of The Antique Piano Shop, I have personally collected Mission / Arts & Crafts style pianos for over 25 years.  I have a great passion for anything Mission / Arts & Crafts, including Craftsman homes, furniture, and accessories.  If you are a true Arts & Crafts enthusiast, you will appreciate how impossible it is to find true Arts & Crafts / Mission style pianos in today’s market.  Nearly three decades of collecting and preserving these “impossible to find” instruments has allowed me the opportunity to present the largest collection of true Mission / Arts & Crafts style instruments anywhere in the world.
We are proud to offer the serious enthusiast the option of adding an authentic period instrument for their Craftsman home.
- Michael Stinnett, Founder, The Antique Piano Shop, Inc.