William Otto Glosnop
Sewing Table

MakerAmerican, born Germany, 1835–1895
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Sewing Table
Date1877
Made inClarksville, Texas, United States
Commissioned forAustin, Texas, United States
MediumWalnut, cedar, palm (Arecaceae), unidentified woods, and porcelain
Dimensions34 1/2 x 26 1/2 in. diameter (87.6 x 67.3 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of William J. Hill
Object numberB.2017.1
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Texas Room
On view

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
Description

William Otto Glosnop was a cabinetmaker, carpenter, and architect who settled in Clarksville in Red River County in far northeast Texas. He entered this table in a Texas state fair in Austin in 1877, where it won a prize for being the best center table made in Texas of Texas wood. One look shows that he spared no effort to make his entry a show-stopper. Glosnop included a dazzling marquetry top, a laminated and turned central column, and whimsical spiny dolphin figures on the legs to display his impressive range of woodworking techniques.

Adapted from Lonn Taylor and David B. Warren. Texas Furniture: The Cabinetmakers and Their Work, 1840–1880. Vol. 1, rev. ed. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 2012.


ProvenanceBy descent within the Glosnop family, 1983; [John R. Sauls, Tyler, Texas]; purchased by William J. Hill (1934–2018), Houston, c. 1986; given to MFAH, 2017.
Exhibition History"Made in Texas: Art, Life and Culture: 1845–1900," Beeville Art Museum, Texas, September 20, 2014–January 10, 2015.

"A Texas Legacy: Selections from the William J. Hill Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 2, 2016–January 2, 2017.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
[no inscriptions]
[no marks]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Card Table
c. 1790–1820
Mahogany; unidentified secondary woods
B.2011.9
Card Table
c. 1800–1820
Mahogany; unidentified inlays and secondary woods
B.2004.44
Pair of Side Chairs
c. 1840–1850
Rosewood; unidentified woods
B.2000.28.3,.4
Side Chair
c. 1780–1800
Mahogany; unidentified secondary woods and modern horsehair upholstery
B.2011.2
Pair of Side Chairs
c. 1858
Rosewood; unidentified secondary woods and modern show cover
B.2011.20.1,.2
Armchair
c. 1775–1800
Unidentified woods
B.2003.1
Side Chair (one of a pair)
c. 1810–1820
Unidentified woods, paint
B.77.7.2
Side Chair (one of a pair)
c. 1810–1820
Unidentified woods, paint
B.77.7.1
Side Chair
c. 1670–1700
Cherry and unidentified secondary woods
B.97.6
Hand Mirror
c. 1800–1825
Maple, other unidentified woods, and mirrored glass
B.93.19
Hole Chair
c. 1800–1850
Unidentified woods, paint, rush
B.2004.45
Looking Glass
c. 1750–1820
Mahogany veneer, unidentified secondary woods, gold leaf, and mirrored glass
B.2012.205