Unusual Papier Mache Table w/Carved Animals

[cheapchick]

My parents obtained this table sometime in the early 80s. The story is this table came from a bordello in Pittsburgh. I always just called it the "cat table". I don't know if it's papier mache or not. In some small areas you can see down to the bare 'wood' and it appears to be made out of a material resembling compressed grocery store paper bags.

I've tried Googling papier mache tables but they are always black with a painted scene in the middle. This table is white and has 'carvings' around the tabletop. The carvings resemble a rainforest canopy with birds and animals. The animals look like fantasy creatures and don't quite resemble anything familiar. The table base has 3 carved cat-like beasts on it. They kind of look like jaguars.

I have pics in a Google doc slideshow.
Here's the Doc: https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=ddcbw6q_62fqb39qtj

Sorry I can't get better pics right now...the table is crammed in a small room with a bunch of stuff around it plus my camera flash isn't working.

[KC]

Paper mache furniture has been around since the 1700's when it was first popular in Japan.

There are still fine examples of tilt top tables from the Victorian era that are worth $$$$$.

It became very popular in the US around the 1940's to 1960's.  Not only was furniture made but other household items (I even have tole painted serving trays that my parents used for lap trays at parties they had during the 50's - they still look fantastic!).

A good example of this type of furniture was continued into the 60's by Frank Gehry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Edges

Highly possible your item was an imported one!

[cheapchick]

I've seen pics of trays and other papier mache items.  This table is so strange.  The design of the animals looks non-European/American.  I can't place where I've seen images of animals like that.  Unless of course the animal styles were copied from another culture.  The pupiless eyes and very squared head and jaws of the cats kind of remind me of Chinese Fu Lions.  I've never seen a white table like this.  I think a repair was done underneath.  It may have been a tilt top at one time or possibly over the decades the top became wobbly so it was stabilized with a circle of plywood attached between the top and base.  My mom said an antiques dealer told her he didn't know what it was but he thought it was unusual and offered her $250 for it back in the early 80s.  

ETA:  I was curious if there was any fascination during the Victorian period in Britain with Japanese or Chinese culture.  Turns out there was and a lot of items were imported during that time.   Also British designers copied Japanese styles into their art.  Maybe that's why the cats look Asian?

[talesofthesevenseas]

Whoa! I wasn't expecting that when I hit the link! What a COOL table! It reminds me of old European tapestries, like the "Hunt of the Unicorn" aka the "Unicorn Tapestries":

[cheapchick]

Whoa! I wasn't expecting that when I hit the link! What a COOL table! It reminds me of old European tapestries, like the "Hunt of the Unicorn" aka the "Unicorn Tapestries":

It's funny you should mention the unicorn tapestry.  I was trying to think what those animals around the tabletop reminded me of and then it hit me.  They look like animals seen in Medieval illuminations.  The leaves look are trefoils too which were used in Medieval art.  Maybe the table's creator was inspired after a trip to a museum?  

ETA:  Wow!  I think I stumbled upon something...I don't think my table is papier mache at all; it is carved wood.  I finally found some similar tables which in part solves the mystery but I would like to see if anyone on here comes to the same conclusion...

[sapphire]

Gonna throw in my two cents worth. At first sight those two figures reminded me of the jackals and gazelles (can't remember their exact name) seen in Egyptian artwork.

[hosman321]

Cool table! The animals on the feet remind me of tigers and the ones on top remind me of wolves.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I think the next step is to flip that puppy over (Very carefully of course) and take some photographs of the construction on the underside so that we perhaps determine age and material.

If it's coated in white paint like the topside, it may be difficult to determine the material unless you can get a look at it where it joins to another part and might still be unpainted. You should be able to tell if it is wood versus composition/papier mache by looking for a grain in the wood and if the design has chisel marks or looks molded/formed up-close.