The Piano From The Piano Sells For Pitiful Amount At Auction

It’s an iconic instrument from an iconic movie – it’s in the title and everything – so you’d think that the piano from the movie ‘The Piano’ would be something of a high-value collector’s item, as far as movie memorabilia goes.

But not so.

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The instrument which featured so prominently in director Jane Campion’s Oscar-winner was sold at auction in New Zealand.

Though it was just a prop, with no working parts, it received a single reserve price bid of just £475 (NZ$1000).

Robert Baldock the former boss of the Wellington-based props house Westside Studios, had confirmed the provenance, saying in a Q&A on the auction site Trade Me: “I verify this piano was used in the movie The Piano.”

So read the auction listing: “The director Robert Baldock [of Westside] was gifted the Piano from The Film Production Co, Pacific Renaissance Pictures, after the film came out in 1993.

“It was bought at auction in August 2013, but moving day is coming and it needs to adorn someone else’s home.”

The movie starred Holly Hunter’s mute pianist Ada McGrath, set in 19th century New Zealand, following her efforts to retrieve her piano when it is sold.

It also starred Harvey Keitel and Sam Neill.

Hunter learned and played all her piano pieces for the movie, while the legendary Michael Nyman wrote the score.

The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and then three out of a total of nine nominations at the Oscars in 1994, including Best Actress for Hunter, Best Supporting Actress for an 11-year-old Anna Paquin, and Best Screenplay for writer/director Jane Campion.

Paquin was the second youngest ever recipient of an Oscar, Tatum O'Neal winning the same award for 'Paper Moon’ in 1974, aged 10.

Image credits: Rex Features/Trade Me