To use new ivory on a new piano is intolerable at a time when poachers are killing about 17,000 elephants a year and environmental concerns are at the forefront of most thinking people's agendas.
Despite the scourge of poaching, piano maker Bechstein has used ivory on a golden salon grand commissioned for its 160th anniversary and based on a replica of the original gilded piano Carl Bechstein created for Queen Victoria in the late 19th century. It took a team of 90 workers more than 2... See More
To use new ivory on a new piano is intolerable at a time when poachers are killing about 17,000 elephants a year and environmental concerns are at the forefront of most thinking people's agendas.
Despite the scourge of poaching, piano maker Bechstein has used ivory on a golden salon grand commissioned for its 160th anniversary and based on a replica of the original gilded piano Carl Bechstein created for Queen Victoria in the late 19th century. It took a team of 90 workers more than 2,500 hours to recreate the elaborate instrument. It is finished with 24-carat gold leaf, carved from century-old Italian wood and finished with - legally sourced - ivory keys.
