Concealed Drawer for a Globe Sewing Table (Globustisch)
Unknown Artist
c. 1800–1810
Medium
Burl walnut veneer, mahogany, ebony, satinwood, gilt wood, painted wood
Dimensions
5.3 × 8.6 × 5.5 cm
Classification
Furniture and woodwork
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift
Accession Number
2020.199.g
About this artwork
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 el...