Why do some call this table seductive?

"This furniture allowed you to move in certain ways that might be seductive."

"This furniture allowed you to move in certain ways that might be seductive."

Curator Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide on a mechanical table by Jean-François Oeben.

Explore this object:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/206976

Throughout 2013, The Met invited curators from across the Museum to each talk about one artwork that changed the way they see the world.

Photography by Joseph Coscia, Jr.

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Contributors

Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide
Henry R. Kravis Curator, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Futuristic sculpture of a fragmented, abstract human form in stone against a neoclassical arch. The tone is dynamic and modern amidst classical architecture.
How do Lee Bul’s sculptures hold space for critical remembrance to show how the past shapes our present?
Anne Anlin Cheng
May 16
Close-up of a Queen of Clubs playing card with a cut-out section. Behind it, a faded, ghostly face is visible, creating a surreal, mysterious mood.
The artist’s work challenges the social and political context of mass incarceration.
Lisa Sutcliffe
April 28
More in:Art Explained

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Mechanical table, Jean-François Oeben  French, born Germany, Oak veneered with mahogany, kingwood, and tulipwood, with marquetry of mahogany, rosewood, holly, and various other woods; gilt-bronze mounts; imitation Japanese lacquer; replaced silk, French
Jean-François Oeben
Roger Vandercruse, called Lacroix
ca. 1761–63