Usado, Pleyel, 3/4 (220)

An exceptionally rare Pleyel grand, handcrafted in France and dating from 1924 (serial no. 17839). This remarkable instrument retains its original Auto Pleyela self-playing mechanism and sits within a striking Chinoiserie Louis XV case signed by the French artist Léo Huillard.

The cabinet is finished in scarlet lacquer with gilt gesso ornamentation depicting birds and flowering branches; the underside of the lid is painted with a bird-filled landscape on an old-gold ground, making the case itself a work of decorative art.

Originally supplied to Monsieur Roger Sudreau, a noted figure in New York and Parisian society in the early 20th century, the piano passed into the care of David Winston, restorer and conservator to Her Majesty the Queen. Mr. Winston has carried out a full restoration of both the piano and the pianola mechanism.

This is a historically significant instrument that combines an important heritage provenance, a preserved self-playing mechanism, and an artist-signed, highly decorative case. It will suit collectors, museums or players seeking an exceptional example of French piano-making and period cabinetry.