A ROCOCO-REVIVAL CARVED ROSEWOOD "ROSALIE" PARLOR SUITE

ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN HENRY BELTER (1804-1863), NEW YORK CITY, 1850-1860

Details

A ROCOCO-REVIVAL CARVED ROSEWOOD "ROSALIE" PARLOR SUITE
Attributed to John Henry Belter (1804-1863), New York City, 1850-1860
Comprising a sofa, two slipper chairs and two armchairs, each with a serpentine crest centered by carved scrolling floral and fruit motifs above an upholstered back continuing to molded serpentine arms over molded curved supports enclosing upholstered sides, the slipper chairs without arms, above an upholstered seat with a serpentine front over a conforming frame embellished with relief-carved floral motifs, on similarly carved cabriole legs with scroll feet and castors, the armchairs with open carved arms
41in. high, 63in. wide, 35in. deep, the sofa, 43in. high, the armchairs (5)

Lot Essay

The scrolled and naturalistic carving of the frames, the thin layers of lamination and the use of rosewood are indicative of the work of John Henry Belter. Belter is known for his work in the Rococo Revival style and for his innovative laminates. Lamination allowed him to create curvaceous furniture forms in the highly ornate Rococo Revival style which was popular from 1840 to 1850. The laminating process consisted of "gluing veneers of wood together and pressing them into shape in a caul" (Schwartz et al., The Furniture of John Henry Belter and the Rococo Revival (New York, 1981), p. 30). Lamination not only facilitated the creation of these forms, but also provided a support for the brittle rosewood that was so favored by the patrons of this type of furniture. Belter produced furniture successfully not only through traditional means but through this new process as well. For further information on Belter's technique, see Schwartz, and see David Hanks, Innovative Furniture in America From 1800 to the Present (New York, 1981). A similar sofa is illustrated in Schwartz, p. 60, fig. 32.