Card Table
c. 1815
Medium
Mahogany with rosewood veneer, giltwood, brass and ebony inlay, ormolu
Dimensions
74.9 × 91.1 × 45.1 cm (29 1/8 × 35 7/8 × 17 3/4 in.)
Classification
table
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
135533
Art Historical Context
This elegant card table, crafted around 1815 by Charles-Honoréuier, exemplifies theulent Empire style that bridged French sophistication with early American luxury. Lannuier, a master Parisian cabinetmaker who emigrated to Baltimore in the 1790s, catered to the elite in Washington, D.C., and beyond, furniture for figures like First Lady Dolley Madison. Measuring about 75 x 91 cm when open, this fold-top table was designed for fashionable card games, a social pastime among the emerging American aristocracy during the post-War of 1812 era. The table's mahogany frame, veneered in exotic rosewood...