PIANOFORTE FROM THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE 19th CENTURY The movement by Steinway & Sons, New York, the case by Guèret Freres, Paris In moulded and carved maple and boxwood, decorated with chased and gilded bronze, the front decorated in the centre with an escutcheon flanked by flowery waterfalls au naturel, the ends with a motif of putti playing the trumpet among scrolls of acanthus leaves and torches from which four gilded bronze light arms emerge, the columnar uprights encircled by a ring with drapery motifs and surmounted by an Ionic capital, a lyre surrounded by laurel leaves at the bottom, resting on a plinth finished with castors, signed "STEINWAY & SONS/NEW-YORK" and "GUÉRET FRÈRES/SCULPTEURS/PARIS", the keyboard with ivory keys, the movement numbered "14561". H.126 cm (49 ½ in.) l.: 147 cm (57 ¾ in.) P.68.5 cm (27 in.) CIC no. FR2503500065-K Origin : Sale in Lyon, Anaf, 22 October 2006, lot 39. A gilt-bronze mounted and maple tree piano, the movement by Steinway & Sons, New York, serial number 14561, the case by Gueret Freres, Paris, third quarter of the 19th century A combination of neoclassical furniture from the second half of the 19th century and the modern inventions of the American firm, this piano is a rare testimony to Steinway and Sons' attempt to establish itself in France. The meeting between the Guéret brothers and Steinway probably took place at the Universal Exhibition of 1867, when the Guéret Frères company was singled out for its 'perfection in the manufacture of carved furniture', while Steinway won a gold medal for its innovative models, the first awarded to an American company. In addition to the Steinway and French sculptors' marks, our piano bears the serial number '14561'. This allows us to place its production date at around 1866-1867. The Steinway story began in Germany, with Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, born in Wolfshagen in the Harz region in 1797. Initially a luthier, he built his first piano in 1835. Business became difficult after the 1848 war, and Heinrich decided to cross the Atlantic to the United States, where he died in New York in 1871. His sons Karl, Heinrich, Wilhelm and Albert followed him, with Theodore remaining in Brunswick at the helm of the family firm, which is still called Grotrian-Steinweg today. Steinway and Sons was founded in Manhattan in 1853. The great solidity of its pianos, the powerful tunings made possible by the famous invention of the one-piece cast-iron frame, and the square cross-stringed piano in 1855, ensured its popularity with romantic musicians. Building on this success, the Steinway company now sought to establish itself in Europe. To do so, it turned to the best, in this case the Parisian sculptors Guéret and the Nancy piano makers Mangeot. After a trip to New York to learn American techniques, Édouard Mangeot, on his return to Nancy, began working with Steinway in 1867, together with his brother Alfred. The Mangeots built pianos very similar to the American models, but they also made a name for themselves by inventing the 'upside-down keyboard' piano in 1876. In 1853, Denis-Désiré and Onésime Guéret founded the Guéret Frères workshop at 7, rue Buffault, then at 216 rue La Fayette, their shop being located on boulevard de la Madeleine. They specialised in reinterpreting old styles, particularly Renaissance, Louis XIV and Louis XVI. Decorative profusion was very fashionable under the Second Empire, following the emergence of a wealthy bourgeoisie. Steinway sought to appeal to this new clientele with impressive models, such as the one presented here. - In accordance with current regulations, ivory lots have a CIC and are in free circulation within the European Union. Exit from the European Union is prohibited. In accordance to current regulations, these lots an intra-community certificate and are in free circulation within the European Union. The export outside European Union is prohibited.