Neal Auction Louisiana Purchase 2015

Additional information at www.nealauction.com 75 371. American Rococo Carved Rosewood Étagère , mid‑19th c., New York, crest centered by basket of flowers, arched mirror flanked by side mirrors and shelves, turned supports; shaped marble top, conforming case, two oval mirrored doors, half columns, serpentine open side cabinets, bracket feet, h. 101 in., w. 54 1/2 in., d. 20 in. $3000/5000 369. Exceptional American Rococo Carved and Laminated Rosewood Étagère , mid‑19th c., attr. to John Henry Belter, New York, crest centered with a federal shield surrounded by floral cascades, arched mirrored back, shaped graduated mirrored shelves, lotus‑carved supports, serpentine marble top, leaf and floral carved base, acanthine turned feet, h. 90 1/2 in., w. 58 1/2 in., d. 16 1/2 in. $20000/30000 Provenance: Neal Auction Company, Oct. 11, 2008, lot 391. Note: This étagère exhibits the overall form and specific ornament related to several well-known examples attributed to John Henry Belter. The shelves, carved supports, and shaped plinth are very similar to those of the “Rosalie” étagère in the Service Collection. The mirror moldings are identical to those on a console conserved by the New York State Historical Society. The broken pediment which is the underlying form for this uniquely carved crest is similar to that in a figure and bird carved étagère, also in the Service Collection, sold by Neal Auction Company as lot 175, Jan. 31, 2015. The Federal shield and laurel wreath centering the crest on the étagère is a singular motif in Belter’s oeuvre, and recalls the “Founding Fathers” busts adorning an important ebony and ivory center table in the New York Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1853 and later in the Manney Collection. The exceptional proportions and subject matter incorporated into this lot suggest this étagère was a notable commissioned piece, either for a patriotic collection, a public building, or an international exhibition. Ref.: Dubrow, Richard. American Furniture of the 19th c . Atglen, PA: Schiffer, pp. 145-150; Schwartz, Marvin, et. al. The Furniture of John Henry Belter and the Rococo Revival . New York: Dutton, 1981, p. 73, pl. 52, 52a. 370. American Rococo Carved Mahogany Full Tester Bed , mid‑19th c., marked “C.Lee” and numbered “281” on bottom of post, arched crest with central cabochon and shell, molded paneled headboard, turned tapered posts, molded tester with egg‑and‑dart edge, shaped rails and foot board, disc feet, h. 108 1/2 in., l. 77 in., w. 64 1/2 in. $5000/8000 Provenance: Brad Simonton, Natchez, MS Note: Beds stamped “C. Lee” appear in the inventories of New Orleans furniture purveyors Calvin Chandler Simpson, John Yetter, and William McCracken in the years leading to the Civil War. Research by scholar and curator Stephen Harrison has revealed Charles Lee (active 1856-1868) was a Manchester, Massachusetts, craftsman known as a “maker of bedsteads for the Southern market.” Ref.: Harrison, Stephen. “’C. Lee’ Maker of Beds for the Southern Market”, Maine Antiques Digest , (April 1994). p. 30.