STUNNING, ARTCASE BROADWOOD GRAND PIANO WITH MARQUETRY
"The pièce de resistance was a Broadwood grand pianoforte, with a case designed by Jackson in 1890 and inlaid by C. H. Bessant with satinwood, ebony, tortoiseshell and mother of pearl".
A stunning, Broadwood grand piano with an intricately inlaid case. Designed by T G Jackson and inlaid by C H Bessant Faber. Made for Athelstan Riley's Music Gallery at 2 Kensington Court London in 1892. Inlaid with scrolling foliage, inlaid pelta shields inscribed with 6 musical part-scores by JS Bach, Thos Augustine Arne, GF Handel, O Gibbons, W Byrde and H Purcell. Stand is american walnut with triplet pillars and carved scrolls. Keyboard has turned arcading. Sharps inlaid with ebony. Framework is signed by John Broadwood.
Price: SOLD
Piano Details
- Brand: Broadwood
- Serial Number: 42364
- Age: 1891
- Size [cm]: length: 254 width: 140
The Piéce de Resistance
In "The Recollections of T.G. Jackson, 1835 to 1924", there is a description of the interior decoration of the house, this Broadwood piano is mentioned;"...But the piéce de resistance was a Broadwood grand pianoforte, with a case designed by Jackson in 1890 and inlaid by C. H. Bessant with satinwood, ebony, tortoiseshell and mother of pearl. This stood in the drawing-room and remains in the possession of the Riley family."
There is a description of No 2 Kensington court in "In a Survey of London: Volume 42: Kensington Square to Earl's Court: Hermione Hobhouse 1986": "This the most striking house to be built at Kesington Court, was designed by T. G. Jackson and raised in 1883-4. The constractor was Albert Estcourt of Gloucester, who built widely for Jackson at this time, and Robert Edwards was clerk of works. It is Jackson's only London town house. The client was John Athelstan Laurie Riley (1858-1945), a twenty-five year old bachelor at the time of building."
