Store Item: Antique JOHN HENRY BELTER ROCOCO REVIVAL LAMINATED ROSEWOOD SOFA Scalamandre Silk Fabric Description: Mid 19th Century sofa made of Rosewood featuring a 7 layer laminated back, three part curving frame with molded cabriole front legs terminating in leafy scroll feat. There are carved roses at the knees and the center of the skirt. The arms curve out from the back and turn out in the ends. Each section is crowned by a cresting of flowers and fruits over a broad molding with filler of incised lines and dots between the molding. Similar to the parlor sofa in Rosalie in Historic Natchez Mississippi. Upholstered in a silk Scalamandre Damask fabric. John Henry Belter is one of the most prolific and influential furniture makers of the 1850s. He revolutionized furniture making with his patented technique of lamination, a process that used steam and pressure to bend and compress up to twenty-one layers of wood, this increased the strength and flexibility of the material allowing for extravagantly high, undulated forms. He is considered one of the greatest makers of American Victorian furniture and inspired the Rococo Revival period of furniture making during that era. Today is pieces can be found in museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New Yor and high end collections. Condition Report: Good condition with some age cracking on right arm, minor scuffs and scratches. Fabric is in good to fair condition with some fraying and tears in places. Measurements: 40.5" H X 74.25" W X 34" D SH 19"