Slipper Chair

John Henry Belter American
 or J. H. Belter & Co.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 736

The fanciful exuberance of this slipper chair attests to the artistic and technical skills of John Henry Belter and the artisans employed at his shop. The intricate pierced and carved composition of grapes and vines pushes the innovative techniques of laminating and bending wood to unprecedented heights. In an 1860 advertisement in the New York Times, J. H. Belter & Co. touted its furniture: "These goods are composed of from 7 to 21 thicknesses of veneers laid with the grain at right angles to each other, and are much lighter and more graceful, and five hundred percent stronger and more durable than furniture made in the ordinary manner."

Slipper Chair, John Henry Belter (American, born Germany 1804-1863 New York), Rosewood, ash (secondary wood), modern upholstery, American

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Slipper Chair, John Henry Belter (American, born Germany 1804-1863 New York), Rosewood, ash (secondary wood), modern upholstery, American
Slipper Chair, John Henry Belter (American, born Germany 1804-1863 New York), Rosewood, ash (secondary wood), modern upholstery, American
Slipper Chair, John Henry Belter (American, born Germany 1804-1863 New York), Rosewood, ash (secondary wood), modern upholstery, American

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