Images(5)

Piano

Maker Guild of Handicraft (London, British, 1888 - 1909)

Designerdesigned by Charles Robert Ashbee (British, 1863 - 1942)

Collections

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Date1904

Mediummahogany with holly inlay, veneered light wood and wrought iron

Dimensions47 1/4 x 54 x 25 in. (120 x 137.2 x 63.5 cm.)

DescriptionA rare Spanish mahogany and holly inlaid upright piano with light wood interior and wrought-iron strapwork hinges.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Art Collectors' Council and the Schweppe Art Acquisitions Fund

Status

On view

Label TextAshbee designed at least five upright pianos for the English firm of Broadwood and Sons. For this piano, based on his fourth design, he extended the top and sides out to the front and then closed it in like a cupboard. Its formal, rectilinear shape is a bold departure from conventional piano design. It shows Ashbee's belief in the ability of the piano to make an important statement in the modern interior.

Object number2007.4