Featured Gaming the System.....Is it OK to say the "B-Word?"

I can not offer any input other than say it is stunning. But I am not surprised because your decor choices always are.

 

I would add that I have never seen a game, card, or any type of folding table attributed to Belter, surely there must be some?

 

I haven’t seen any game tables attributed to JHB either. But he designed and built many different types of furniture, so why not this type as well? The carver certainly had the chops.

 

That's just it, I don't know either but, did a quicky search at LiveAuctioneers & Neals in New Orleans and, nada. No folding tables of any type.
Not a good sign for Belter attrib. add in the cloth top.................
It's why you need to fire off a few emails to Belter people if still interested in finding out for sure.

 

Yup thanks James!

 

No problem!
BTW, I am BUGGING THE HELL out of anyone who is even REMOTELY knowledgeable about a corner cupboard I just bought. Even though I am 99.9% certain on what I have, there are MANY questions I would like answers to.
Academics, historians, dealers, museums, restorers, bla bla bla........ NO ONE is safe from my relentless & persistent inquiries.
GO GET EM!

 

Here ya go James,my NOT Belter chairs (but Im mad for them anyway!)..No to hijack thread !

 

Agreed, no not Belter but hey, you had a positive emotional response and love your chairs! which is ALL that matters!
Very attractive chair.

 

i think it's one of those tapestries everybody thinks is ancient - I think they are from the 40's? repurposed into this piece. I don't know a thing about furniture, but having that glued on to the furniture suggests to me someone either like the tapestry more than the table or someone at some point was doing the the old PT Barnum thing. As I said, I know nada about furniture so, there is a 99.9999% chance I am completely wrong

 

So a few more weeks of part-time research have yielded a few things: As mentioned earlier, the tapestry is a reproduction ca. 1905 of a 1901 painting by Austrian Hans Zatzka sometimes called "Cupid and the Swing of Love."

I've found a few rococo revival game tables since then, and all of them had baize or velvet game surfaces surrounded by burl. I've since determined that the burl around the tapestry on my table is rosewood; in fact, the top surface is rosewood that has been somewhat "alligatored" by long-term exposure to radiant heat.

So the top is rosewood. That's a bit more "Belteresque" than before. I've searched the internet, but can't find out who the world expert is on Belter.

 

Did you try Joan?
Did you find ANY Belter folding tables?
Baize makes sense for sure, it's been used for centuries as an ideal surface for card, game, pool/billiard & writing surface type material. Baize looks like felt in photos but isn't, it is a coarse woolen cloth.
Another possible research tool, Hal Hunt in Alabama, they have pretty much taken over the museum-quality Victorian furniture sales by storm in the past 10 years or so. If they don't know, they know who does.
https://www.halhunt.com/
Although Belter was a German immigrant, he made his furniture and a name for himself in NYC so it stands to reason any/most authorities are likely American.

 

Ah yes, Hal Hunt. He's too far to go to by car, but he does indeed have one of the corners on high end.

Very to the point, James. Thanks!!

 

They are ALL too far, that's why they invented email.

 

Naturally, the photographs matter A LOT (more light usually), and wording the text properly doesn't hurt either.
The goal is to make it easy for them to reply.

 

Just heard back from Hal Hunt: His verdict on attribution is Alexander Roux. Ding ding ding!! Roux played in the same league as Belter, and at the same time, but wasn't quite as well known. So.....super happy about this! My first Alexander Roux, and at a bargain price. Bwahaha ha ha ha!!!

 

Good for you Ghopper!

 

Roux does make more sense plus a quicky search has this signed 1850 Roux folding card table at the Brooklyn Museum
Somewhat different style but still, it's a card table & it's folding! which is kinda important.
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/103558

 

Beautiful!
Looking at various online sources I was able to pick out various elements on my table as Roux. No perfect matches but I didn’t expect one.
So
Psyched!!!!!!!

 

@Ghopper1924 - Congrats on your new officially ID'd table!! It is beautiful & is just right for your house.

Just curious as to your new avatar. Is it a relative or just someone with a very impressive beard?

 

LOL, well, let's not get carried away here & not to rain on the Roux parade but, I'd say "official" might be a tad optimistic at this point. Hunt is basing his opinion on photographs alone with no in person examination so there is that.
Still, encouraging to have someone like Hunt opine that Roux could be the builder, he sees & sells A LOT of museum quality victorian furniture personally so that means something.