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Sofa

1850–60
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 736
German émigré John Henry Belter—one of the most prolific and influential cabinetmakers of the 1850s—introduced technical innovations that revolutionized furniture making. His patented technique of plywood lamination, a process that used steam and pressure to bend and compress up to twenty-one layers of wood, dramatically increased the strength and flexibility of the material, allowing for extravagantly high, undulated forms. This bold sofa, with its sinuous curves and virtuosic carving and piercing, is an extraordinary example. It is a model of the French-inspired Rococo Revival style, which was favored for fashionable parlors throughout the United States.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sofa
  • Maker: John Henry Belter (American, born Germany 1804-1863 New York)
  • Maker: or J. H. Belter & Co. (1854–1865)
  • Date: 1850–60
  • Geography: Made in New York, New York, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Rosewood, Rosewood veneer; chestnut, pine (secondary woods); modern upholstery with some original underupholstery
  • Dimensions: 53 1/4 x 66 x 25 in. (135.3 x 167.6 x 63.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of the American Wing Fund and Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1999
  • Object Number: 1999.396
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

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Slipper Chair, John Henry Belter American, Rosewood, ash, American
Slipper Chair
John Henry Belter
ca. 1855
Slipper Chair, John Henry Belter American, Rosewood, ash, American
Slipper Chair
John Henry Belter
ca. 1855
Sofa, John Henry Belter American, Rosewood, ash, pine, American
Sofa
John Henry Belter
J. H. Belter & Co.
1850–60
Armchair
John Henry Belter
J. H. Belter & Co.
1850–60
Side Chair, John Henry Belter American, Rosewood, ash, American
Side Chair
John Henry Belter
J. H. Belter & Co.
1850–60

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