It doesn't have the feel of something 18thc or earlier, and I agree that the felt looks much later. I think it is a 19thc copy of an earlier style. Still, it is very nicely carved, much better than most things you run across. It may have been too nice for the antiques dealer to believe it was just walking in the door.
I suspect the antiques dealer evaluated the fifteen year old girl showing him the piece, more than the piece itself.
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