Description
Work tables resembling globes were the usual form for a lady's sewing or writing table around 1800 in Austria. Combining moving parts, secret compartments, and highly finished decoration, these tables were also a way for the cabinetmaker to show off his skill. The tripod supports and temple-like architectural quality of both the exterior and interior decoration reflect the fashionable taste for neoclassical style, or Biedermeier as it was called in Austria, where Vienna was the center of such elaborate furniture production.
Provenance
Private Collection, Switzerland, sold to Bernd Goeckler Antiques (by 2004); (Bernd Goeckler Antiques, Inc., New York, NY, sold to Hiedemann Fine Art) (by 2004); (Hiedemann Fine Art, Richmond, VA, sold to Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley) (December 2004); Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley, Cleveland, OH (2004–2020); Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley, Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art (2020); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2020–)
Accession Number
2020.199
Medium
Burl walnut veneer, mahogany, ebony, satinwood, gilt wood, painted wood; mirrored glass; metal
Dimensions
Overall: 90.2 x 45.5 cm (35 1/2 x 17 15/16 in.)
Classification
Furniture and woodwork
Credit Line
Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift
