In 1869 the Emperor of Austria, Kaiser Franz Josef, presented a richly ornamented Bösendorfer grand piano to Emperor Meiji of Japan. Only a short time later however, the instrument was lost in a fire in the Tenno's Palace. Nevertheless, the original plans have remained safe since that time in the Bösendorfer Archives, and have been now used in the production of the Bösendorfer Emperor Edition: a re-creation of the original one-of-a-kind instrument.

The Emperor, fashioned of rare moor oak, is based on a traditional Baroque style accentuated with ornamental figurines which recall the ancient and timeless mythologies of western civilization. It is worked with decorative accents and unique intrinsic details, and finished in fine 23 karat gold. This style is decorated with richly carved and gilded ornamentation - all made by hand - in a painstaking process to recreate the piano which was originally conceived as the gift from one Emperor to another.