The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-05
A COSTLY PIANO.
The Magnificent Instrument Owned by
Cornelius Vanderbilt.
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
When Cornelius Vanderbilt opens his
new house at Fifty-eighth street and Fifth
avenue with a ball soon to be given to in
troduce his daughter to society, Siedl will
sit down to a SIS, 900 piano, which has now
been put in place in one of the magnifi-
cent parlors. Mr. Vanderbilt's piano was
built to order, but the principal reason
why 1T was so costly is that II was sought
to make it harmonic with the room in
which it should be placed, ( and is in itself
a work of art.
So far as the essential parts of Its me-
chanism are concerned it is no better than
the first class pianos of the same make
which any poor man can buy or rent.
But as an art object it is unique and the
case alone would be priced by any mus
cum. In general terms it is a concert
grand piano, straight along one side and
curved on the other, with three legs and a
top which lifts from the side The legs of
this piano, which were specially designed.
are fiat and decorated with elaborate
carvings of palm leaves. The groundwork
of the whole instrument is in four shades
of green, ranging from the delicate pis-
tache to the darker chrome green known
to artists. Upon top and bottom and
around the sides of this beautiful instru-
ment are many elaborate carvings all OF
glittering gilt The whole scheme of dec
grafton is in the style of Louis XIV, so
that the piano is in harmony with the
Louis XIV, rooms in Mr.. Vanderbilt 8
house. 1t is not supposed that this instru-
ment win be placed in a Louis XIV room
or by mistake be set up against Charles
X. sideboard.
OF course the piano stool which goes
along with the instrument is in the Louis
XIV. style. The piano stool is said to have
cost over 50, 600. Like the Instrument, 1t is
conceived in a scheme of green and gold.
But none of the exquisite paintings of
Kammerer which decorate the main body
of the piano are duplicated or repeated on
the piano stool. These paintings are in
separate panels along the sides and on top
Of the cover, and one of the finest is on
the cover which drops down over the
keyboard All of the decorative work on
Mr.. Vanderbilts plano was done in Eu-
rope. The whole piano case, including all
the woodwork was done in this country.
Then it was taken apart and shipped to
Paris to Albert Cuel of No 20 Rue des
Capuclnes, under whose supervision the
decoration was begun. Kammerer was
secured to paint the panels, which num-
Der half dozen. He is noted in Paris for
decorative work in the Louis XIV style,
and few samples of his skill are to be
seen in private houses of New York.
His painting was directly on the wood,
which had previously undergone elab-
crate preparation to prevent 1t from
warping or cracking, and In this condi-
ton II is said 1t will last for centuries.
Another noted artist was put to work on
the minor decorations.
Kammerer's panels show some exquisite
color work in a light key. There are land
scapes and allegorical pieces, with a be-
wildering array Of cupids and little god
desses, and many pleasing fancies emble-
matical Of music and the arts.