Turn-Of-The-Century America was a period of lavish lifestyles, excessive luxury and great prosperity. Several piano manufacturers specialized in creating custom, one-of-a-kind pianos on special order for wealthier clients in order to match their home’s décor – often in historical or period furniture styles. In the early 20th Century, it was not uncommon for a wealthy client to visit the prominent Knabe 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 décor! This uniquely styled Knabe grand piano was originally sold as the “Art Design 254A” model and is one of the most unusual custom-designed pianos in our collection. The cabinet is made of blonde mahogany wood and is decorated with beautifully carved bulrush leaves (also known as cattails) and floral blossoms, all reflecting the free and natural look of the Art Nouveau style. The music rack features a stunning original oil painting portrait of Richard Wagner, one of the 19th Century’s most celebrated classical composers. The Knabe Piano Company was the official piano for the Metropolitan Opera, and these instruments were celebrated as being some of the finest instruments ever produced. This piano is being restored to like-new condition, inside and out. Not only is this instrument visually stunning, it is a top quality musical instrument which would satisfy any accomplished musician. If desired, this piano can be equipped with the Pianomation player system, and can play by itself by streaming music live on an iPod, computer, iPad, etc. Over 10,000 song titles are available! An original matching piano bench is included.