A Rare American Rococo Carved and Laminated Rosewood Bed

A Rare American Rococo Carved and Laminated Rosewood Bed (image 1/4)
A Rare American Rococo Carved and Laminated Rosewood Bed (image 2/4)
A Rare American Rococo Carved and Laminated Rosewood Bed (image 3/4)
A Rare American Rococo Carved and Laminated Rosewood Bed (image 4/4)
Pricing & History
, mid-19th c., attributed to John Henry Belter, New York, scrolled molded serpentine headboard, with fleur-de-lis cartouche, continuous rails and footboard, stepped rounded bracket feet, retaining a fine French polished finish, height 51 in., inside length 78 in., width 54 in. Note: Retains the original fitted mattress. Note: The bed offered here is a superb example of John Henry Belter's 1856 patent for a four-section bedstead. The overall aesthetic and execution of this bed is clearly more sophisticated than the well-known bed from the Manney collection that bears Belter's "Aug. 19, 1856" patent stamp and is illustrated in Schwartz, Stanek and True, The Furniture of John Henry Belter and the Rococo Revival, p. 82. The massive serpentine form of the bed, constructed of over sixteen laminated layers, not only is a technical marvel, but also boasts three practical virtues cited by Belter. The first was ease of installation as the four panels can be assembled without tools. The second was hygienic, Belter noting that his bed lacked, "…the ordinary bedstead contains deep and intricate recesses about the joints and fastenings which are difficult to access and notorious hiding places for bugs." The third was an economy of space, by avoiding the use of posts that Belter declared "intrude on what would otherwise be valuable space." Reference: read more
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