The Walden Woods Art Case, Concert Grand Piano is a one-of-a-kind collector’s item, a museum quality work of art and, most importantly, a superior musical instrument. Created by Steinway & Sons, the piano features the work of Silas Kopf, one of the world’s finest marquetry artists. Marquetry is the traditional craft of piecing together different species of wood to form pictures or graphic designs. The marquetry on the Walden Woods piano showcases the natural beauty and the rich flora and fauna found in the Massachusetts woods and ponds that inspired the writings of Henry David Thoreau.  The design of the piano honors Thoreau’s legacy as the father of the American conservation movement. A significant portion of the proceeds from the public auction of the piano will support the conservation of historic Walden Woods. Auction proceeds will also support the work of American Forests.

“The design of the piano alters nothing in the basic architecture of the instrument,” said Silas Kopf. “For instance, the legs are all in the same places as they are in other pianos. The ‘box’ of the piano is exactly the same and hasn’t been changed. All the decoration is on the surface. This insures that the piano will sound as good as other Model D Steinways.” Kopf describes the design as “…a series of plaques spaced around the rim. These pictures depict trees and shrubs in Walden Woods that Thoreau wrote about. The legs of the piano are inverted arches that have a connecting waterline as if one is able to look into a pond. Three different species that live in Walden Woods are featured; a turtle, a frog, and a small fish.”

The Walden Woods Piano honors Thoreau’s contributions as one of the most important writers in American history by featuring, in marquetry, one of his best known quotations: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

According to Silas Kopf, “The marquetry attempts to feature the little ‘defects’ in the wood, such as pin knots and sapwood, as a way of drawing attention to these special timbers. The primary wood used for the piano is American black walnut, which grows throughout the Appalachian region and into Massachusetts. There are nineteen different species used in the design (six of them from Walden Woods). All the wood is either native to New England or can grow in the region.”

The auction date/location has not been set at this time. If you are interested in receiving an advance notification of the auction, please call or e-mail us at: 781-259-4700 or wwproject@walden.org. 

*The Walden Woods Piano is currently on display at Steinway Hall in New York City!  If you happen to be in the New York area, feel free to stop by and have a look.  Steinway Hall is located at 109 W 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.  Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm; Saturday 9am to 5pm; and Sunday 12pm to 5pm.

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