Sometimes called the Naturalist style, the Rococo Revival took hold most strongly in America — all grandeur and natural ornament, fruit and leaves and flowers carved in deep relief. John Henry Belter is so tied to it that his name became shorthand for the period. Rosewood, imported from Brazil and the East Indies, was beautiful but fragile, so Belter patented a way to build from thin veneer sheets glued, steamed, bent in molds, and then carved — stronger, cheaper, and a genuine beginning of industrial furniture making.
Design Elements
- Laminated and layered veneers, carved by hand
- Tufted upholstery
- Medium to large in scale, and symmetrical
- C- and S-scrolls and natural motifs
- Carved cabriole legs on casters
- Gilding, white-painted pieces, and marble tops