Early Victorian Papier-Mâché and Mother-of-Pearl Snap-Top Tea Table, Circa 1840
Early Victorian Papier-Mâché and Mother-of-Pearl Snap-Top Tea Table, Circa 1840
7209
A charming early Victorian papier-mâché snap-top tea table, dating to circa 1840, richly decorated with floral painting and delicate mother-of-pearl inlay. Combining decorative refinement with the ingenuity of its folding mechanism, this piece is a fine example of the fashionable furniture produced for the Victorian drawing room.
The shaped circular top is finished in a deep, lustrous ground and adorned with a floral composition, its brightly painted blooms enhanced by shimmering mother-of-pearl details. The contrast between the dark polished surface, colourful flowers, and iridescent inlay gives the table a particularly attractive and decorative presence. Papier-mâché furniture was especially prized in the first half of the 19th century for its smooth lacquered finish, lightness, and capacity for elaborate ornament.
The top is fitted with a practical snap-top mechanism, allowing it to be tilted upright when not in use. This made such tables ideal for the adaptable interiors of the Victorian home, where they could be brought forward for tea, cards, or occasional use, then neatly stored against a wall. It is raised on a painted base, completing the graceful and well-balanced silhouette.
A lovely and evocative piece of early Victorian furniture, equally suited to a drawing room, bedroom, conservatory, or hall. Its combination of floral decoration, mother-of-pearl embellishment, and practical design makes it a delightful addition to an interior with an appreciation for 19th-century English decorative arts.
Early Victorian; papier-mâché, painted decoration, and mother-of-pearl inlay; circa 1840. Please refer to photographs for condition, dimensions, and details of the mechanism.
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