Papier-mâchè side chair
Unknown Artist
ca. 1830–60
Medium
Wood, papier-mâché, black lacquer, painted and gilded, mother-of-pearl, caned seat. Caning recently replaced.
Dimensions
H. 81 cm, W. 45.7 cm, D. 40.5 cm
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
British (?)
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2062
Art Historical Context
This elegant side chair, crafted around 1830–1860, exemplifies the inventive spirit of early Victorian furniture making. Likely of British origin, it combines a sturdy wooden frame with molded papier-mâché panels finished in glossy black lacquer. The is enriched with painted and gilded decoration and delicate inlays of mother-of-pearl, creating a striking contrast of light and dark that would have appealed to fashionable households of the period. Papier-mâché offered an affordable yet sophisticated alternative to carved wood or costly metals. Artisans layered and pressed paper pulp into durab...