Prudent Mallard Half-Tester Bed

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About the Item

This exceptional American Rococo Revival half-tester bed displays the hallmarks of the great New Orleans cabinetmaker Prudent Mallard, a master of creating palatially sized furnishings without sacrificing grace and elegance. The bed is crafted of rosewood with superb carving at the crest and half-tester in a shell, cabochon and fruit motif. Most historians concur that it was Mallard that introduced the half-tester bed which has since become synonymous with superior, period antebellum furnishings. Prudent Mallard was born in Sèvres, France, in 1809 and immigrated to America in 1829. He settled in New York but soon found the weather unsuitable for his asthmatic condition. He travelled by steamship to New Orleans, where he found the warm and steamy climate and the burgeoning economy most beneficial to his health and wealth. Mallard set up shop on Royal Street, the city's most prestigious avenue, and before long he was catering to the needs of a very wealthy clientele. As his success grew, Mallard acquired his own ships to carry cotton to Europe where they in turn loaded their hulls with luxurious furnishings and objects to bring back to his American clients. These same ships also made trips to the Caribbean, where Mallard purchased choice rosewood and mahogany to create his own masterful furnishings. By the 1840s and 1850s, the New Orleans economy was booming and Prudent Mallard was enjoying extraordinary success fueled by his clients' insatiable appetite for his spectacular and monumental furnishings. The Civil War, however, proved disastrous for New Orleans and the South, and many of the opulent homes that dotted the country landscape were burned to the ground, reducing the magnificent furnishings inside to ashes. Smaller treasures were often spared, but many of the massive beautiful beds such as this perished. Today, few of these wonderful examples of Southern Rococo style remain and many have been altered to fit modern homes. Rosewood beds by Prudent Mallard are, indeed, among the most prized furnishings of the period, and among the hardest to find. This amazing example, attributed to this legendary furniture maker is truly a grand bed, circa 1850. Measures: 74" wide (64" inside) x 85" length (76" inside) x 121" high.

Dimensions:
Height: 121 in (307.34 cm)Width: 74 in (187.96 cm)Depth: 85 in (215.9 cm)
Style:
Rococo Revival (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Rosewood,Carved
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1850
Condition:
Seller Location:
New Orleans, LA
Reference Number:
Seller: 29-03321stDibs: LU89114767373

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