Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

I brought a piece of furniture from the Victorian era. I've done some, a little bit of research, and hopefully that it's a John Henry Belter table, who came from Germany to New York in the early 1800s. I've been carrying it around the world for the last 32 years.

APPRAISER

How did you get it?

GUEST

I went to a design appointment. When I was leaving the home, I walked out through the garage and the gentleman told me that that table sitting in the garage was either going to Goodwill or to the curb and I offered him $50 for the table. And he said, "It's yours," and I took it.

APPRAISER

And how did you come up with Belter?

GUEST

Last July in the Saturday paper-- they have little articles about antiques-- and lo and behold there was a picture of a table that looked very similar to mine.

APPRAISER

As you mention, John Henry Belter was a German immigrant, emigrated to the United States, was active in New York as a cabinetmaker from about 1840 to about 1865. So mid-19th century.

GUEST

Right.

APPRAISER

He was very recognized and is celebrated today for his achievements as a cabinetmaker. While we don't know a lot about him, we always make attributions about John Henry Belter. And really there's only a few records that allow us to make those attributions.

Number one

a bill of sale that goes with a suite of furniture in Houston at a museum that describes his furniture. So we know that he made that furniture. We also know that there is a couple of labeled tables. There's only three or four documented pieces. And from that we extrapolate similarities and assign it to other things. What he's famous for is his lamination process. He would take thin layers of wood, glue them together at cross sections, about five to six layers and that enabled to give it strength, but it also enabled it to be bent. And that's what gives you this undulation that you see and which distinguishes Belter furniture. He's recognized for his elaborate carving, which this table has. The other things that distinguish his work is the type of wood he uses. We know that he worked in rosewood, primarily, but we also believe he worked in mahogany, and occasionally oak.

GUEST

Yes.

APPRAISER

His tables did come with wood tops, but more often came with pure white marble tops. And he did make parlor tables, case furniture, bedroom suites, but primarily parlor furniture, which this would be. So, knowing all of that and recognizing that, we have to analyze this. Does this fit those qualities? The first thing that stands out to me is the lamination. This is not laminated under the skirt, and that's clearly evident at the bottom. When we look at the wood, both on the top and on the front and on the back, it's clear that it is pine, not rosewood, a soft wood, something that would not have been used by him as a cabinetmaker. We also do not believe that he ever made a corner table, this being a corner table. So when I analyze all of the things that we know about Belter and we apply it to this, I'm very confident that this is not a Belter table.

GUEST

Would it possibly be an Alexander Roux's?

APPRAISER

Alexander Roux's a contemporary of Belter, on the same level as Belter. I do not think it's Roux either. We know less about Roux than we know about Belter. And this, if we really broke it down, we'd recognize this really isn't even a mid-19th century table. This is a heavily carved table, but first part of the 20th century.

GUEST

Really?

APPRAISER

Not a 19th century table. I'm glad you only paid $50 for it.

GUEST

Exactly.

APPRAISER

Had it been a genuine Belter table, it could have easily been worth $20,000 to $30,000.

GUEST

Would this be a table that just an individual carved for someone?

APPRAISER

I think it's a production piece of furniture, factory made piece of furniture.

GUEST

I looked at the happy/sad face thinking that it might be attributed to the theater back in that era of time. That's why I thought maybe it was a Victorian era piece because of the faces themselves.

APPRAISER

In the style of, but not of the period.

GUEST

Okay. What would you think the worth of this is then?

APPRAISER

I think it's worth about $300 to $500.

GUEST

Is that it, really? Hmm, very interesting. Good, all right. Thank you.

APPRAISER

Thanks for coming in.

GUEST

Appreciate it.