IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
265-267 Fulham Road, London SW3 6HY, United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 7352 2188 Fax: +44 20 7376 5619 Email: antiques@apter-fredericks.com www.apter-fredericks.com
4
Bernard & Carole, last quarter of twentieth century.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
5
It is with some small measure of pride that Apter Fredericks present this year’s brochure celebrating our 70th year since our Grandfather, Alfred Fredericks began his business in our Fulham Road premises. Through the austere years following the Second World War, several recessions, and lighting the shop with gas lights during the three day week, the business has evolved into one of the premier dealerships in eighteenth century English furniture. As the third generation of the family dealing from these premises and the fourth as antiques dealers, we cannot miss this opportunity to thank our Parents, Bernard & Carole, and our Grandfather, Alf for the knowledge, skill and integrity they passed on to us. We have been so fortunate to have been brought up in a business with such an outstanding reputation and one that has provided so much pleasure and excitement. The joy of discovery, the pleasure of seeing old friends and the delight of dealing with appreciative clients is not something every business can provide but this one continues to do so. But without our clients we would not be here. So our greatest thanks go to all the clients who have made it all possible over the last 70 years. In testament to that, we are proud to have been asked by just such an old client to help dispose of his entire collection of fine pieces. Several of the items illustrated here with further items to be shown at the forthcoming Masterpiece Fair emanate from this important collection. Re-acquiring pieces previously handled is a very important source of inventory and we are certain that our longevity in the same premises with the same telephone number since 1946, offers confidence to both existing and new clients alike. Indeed, besides the single collection, there are numerous other items illustrated which have passed through our hands before. Thank you. Harry, Guy & Alice
6
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
7
8
Previous spread: 75035
A Pair of Commodes Attributed to Mayhew & Ince This highly decorative pair of commodes
Interestingly, another pair of commodes
exhibit many of the classical motifs
belonging to the Comtesse de Clinchamp
associated with the prominent London
were sold by Sotheby’s, London, May 1989,
cabinet making firm of Mayhew & Ince.
lot 89. The decoration on this pair of
The fan paterae, the particularly distinctive
commodes
ribbon ties, the husk festoons and the dot
undoubtedly by the same maker. One major
borders all appear on accredited works by
difference is the inlaid shaped apron and the
this firm.
tall tapered legs which add lightness to the
is
almost
identical
look of the commodes. Pieces of particular note which share some of these features include an oval table and a
English Circa 1780
pair of tables at Badminton that have been
Width 37½” 95cm
associated with large payments made to
Depth 16¾” 43cm
Mayhew & Ince by the Dowager Duchess of
Height 34½” 88cm
Beaufort between 1778 and 1798. PROVENANCE
A related commode, inlaid with Etruscan
Cornelius Kelley and thence by descent.
tablets and a `pearled’ edge to the top, is
Apter-Fredericks, Ltd.
illustrated in Percy Macquoid, A History of
Private Collection, USA.
English Furniture, The Age of Satinwood, London, 1908, fig. 158 and an oval table with a ‘pearled’ edge sold from The Leisdorf Collection, Sothebys New York, 1974, lot 143.
and
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
9
75052
A Pair of George III Ormolu Mounted Blue John Perfume Burners Attributed to Matthew Boulton Each with an ovoid body with guilloche
LITERATURE
cast ormolu rim above swags and a
Matthew Boulton’s Pattern Book I,
pierced lid with foliate finial. Having
p. 171.
looped handles above a platform white
N. Goodison, The Work of
marble base with paterae and swags.
Matthew Boulton. pl. 161 fig. r.
English Circa 1770
A pair of this model are in the collection
Width 4½” 11.5cm
of the Earl of Bradford at Weston Park,
Depth 3¾” 9.5cm
Shropshire.
Height 9” 23cm
Another pair in the Leisdorf Collection, sold June 1974, lot 95.
PROVENANCE
Mrs Gabrielle Keiller. Private Collection, USA.
10
Opposite: 50823
52013
A Late Eighteenth Century Satinwood Wheel Barometer Signed Richard Ganthony, Lombard Street, London
Bookcase (see page 10)
English Circa 1790 Height 4’ 2½” 1.23m
One of a pair of Chairs (see page 12)
51952
75043
One of a pair of Life Size Basso Relievo Paintings of Ducks in their Original Frames by William Hayes Width 19” 48.5cm & 19¾” 50cm Height 14½” 37cm & 15¼” 39cm 52075
Vulliamy Clock (see page 14)
51956
Writing Table (see page 15) 51984
One of a pair of George III ‘Temple’ Form Candlesticks (see page 93)
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
11
12
52013
A Regency Period Bookcase A highly refined Regency period bookcase incorporating numerous design elements from the work of one of the most significant designers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the connoisseur, collector, designer, and author Thomas Hope (1769-1831). English Circa 1815 Width 35” 89cm Depth 16¼” 41.5cm Height 83” 211cm Thomas Hope was part of a successful banking family from Amsterdam. He spent seven years travelling about the Mediterranean on his Grand Tour collecting artefacts and sketching the architecture. Having settled in London to escape the French invasion of Holland, he set about enlarging, designing and furnishing his mansion on Duchess Street in a neo-classical style. Having completed the work, he sent out tickets to sixty members of the Royal Academy allowing admittance to the house for the bearer and three friends. Despite some resentment at these unsolicited invitations, people did visit and on the whole they were extremely impressed. Hardly surprising then that his furniture started to be replicated. However, unimpressed by the lack of accuracy, he published his designs in Household Furniture & Interior Decoration to improve the copies being produced. As mentioned above, there are a number of features on this bookcase which may be found in Hope’s designs, including the rather idiosyncratic scale-pattern grilles at the top and bottom of the upper section doors. The full list of motifs and their source is below.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
The bookcase is also unusual in being glazed
on a disc seen in this cabinet. He further
- For the moulding pattern in the
to the bottom as well as the top. It is far more
alluded to Hope in surviving accounts,
top cornice: ibid., plate XXXIX.
typical for glazed upper-door cabinets to
notably ‘2 Hope Canopy Testers’ supplied to
have solid doors below. The nearest parallel
the Earl of Breadalbane in 1812.
for this form is a bookcase by George Bullock
13
- Laurel Wreaths: Thomas Hope, ibid., plate II. - Mounts flanking drawer: ibid., plate
(perhaps one of the pair supplied by Bullock
Despite these comparisons, it is not possible
XII, No.1, Plate XLI, No. 13.
for Napoleon on St Helena; see George
to attribute this cabinet to a particular
- The scrolls to the cornice: ibid.,
Bullock exhibition catalogue 1988, cat. no.
maker. What can be said is that it is of
39). However, this cabinet is far too light and
such a quality that it would certainly have
refined to have been made by Bullock.
been made in London and that its cost of
REFERENCE
manufacture preclude all but the wealthiest
George Bullock exhibition catalogue 1988,
clients from having commissioned it.
cat. no. 39). Richard Brown published a
Another possible maker might have been John McLean. Although there are parallels
plate XLIII, No.2.
derivation of this design in The Rudiments of
in the form, construction and quality of
DESIGN MOTIF SOURCES
Drawing Cabinet and Upholstery Furniture
this piece, there is not enough evidence
- For the scale-pattern grilles:
(1822), pl. XVIII (see Frances Collard,
to attribute it to McLean. This is also the
Thomas Hope, Household Furniture
Regency Furniture (1985), pp. 116–17).
case with another major cabinet maker of
(1807), plate XI, No. 2.
James Newton by Giles Ellwood, Furniture
this period, James Newton. Newton was
- For the crossed bars centred on a
certainly influenced by Hope and produced
disc of some sort: ibid., plate XII,
a design for a klismos chair and another
No. 5, and plate XVII, No. 5.
chair, with the same crossed bars centred
History Society (FHS) Journal vol XXXI, p.129.
14
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
15
51984
A Pair of George III Side Chairs The chairs are neo-classical in period displaying all the classic motifs of that style including husks, bell flowers and paterae which are all finely carved. The chairs are enhanced by the golden colour the mahogany has become and by the movement in the design. Between 1785-90 Gillow produced a design for the back of these chairs. Illustrated in Gillow Furniture designs 1760-1800 by L. Boynton. fig. 32. p.160 English Circa 1780 PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Sweden. Purchased from Apter-Fredericks Ltd., 1982.
16
52075
William Beckford’s Mantel Clock by Benjamin Vulliamy Having two seated lions flanking the circular
This clock is one of the documented examples
This example is recorded as being delivered
clock case with an enamelled dial above a
supplied
to W. Beckford, March 5th 1799.
panelled plinth. The movement engraved
Vulliamy to William Beckford (1760-1844),
Benjamin Vulliamy London No.309.
one of the most renowned connoisseurs of
William Beckford was probably best known
the Georgian era.
for the creation and furnishing of Fonthill
by
the
Royal
Clock-Maker,
Width 9” 23cm
Abbey. A 9-year collaboration with the
Depth 4¾” 12cm
Vulliamy received the Royal Warrant
architect James Wyatt which displayed
Height 9½” 24cm
in 1773. The firm were known for their
his eye for magnificence. Beckford lived at
luxurious and technically advanced clocks.
Fonthill until his debts forced him to sell
PROVENANCE
They kept meticulous records and numbered
in 1822.
William Beckford, 1799.
their clocks.
Private Collection, USA.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
51956
An Early Regency Period End Support Writing Table Some would say, and we would include ourselves here, that this table represents the best of the Regency period. Simple, elegant and refined. The top, which has a lift up reading slope, has re-entrant corners which soften the rectangular shape. That shape is emphasised by the simple gilt band running around the edge, and the table stands on simple end supports without the obtrusive stretcher seen on later tables. English Circa 1800 Width 47¾” 121.5cm Depth 28¼” 72cm Height 29½” 75cm
17
18
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
19
51249
A George II Walnut Serpentine Front Commode This commode is distinguished by the use of
handles are closely related to examples found
a marble top, rarely seen applied to English
on a bookcase supplied by Chippendale for
furniture of the mid-eighteenth century.
Dumfries House (see Christopher Gilbert,
Its idiosyncrasies continue with the use
The Life and Works of Thomas Chippendale,
of walnut veneers as opposed to the more
1978, vol. II, figs. 63 and 264).
typical choice of mahogany favoured by cabinet-makers of the period.
The carved shell motif flanked by acanthus scrolls to the centre of the apron seen here
English Circa 1755
is mirrored on a library armchair attributed
Width 43¼” 110cm
to Paul Saunders, sold Sotheby’s London,
Depth 26” 66cm
18 November 2008, lot 328.
Height 34¼” 87cm The carving to the apron of the present ATTRIBUTION
commode has affinities with that on a George
It would be exceptional to find a positive
III fustic and padouk kneehole desk, now
attribution for such an unusual piece from
tentatively attributed to Wright and Elwick
this period. However, we have found three
(see Christie’s Wentworth Woodhouse,
comparisons that are worth making. The
8 July 1998, p. 112).
20
75099
A Regency Scarlet & Gilt Tole Magician’s Box A wonderfully rare object. When the lid is raised in one direction it reveals a false die, when opened the other way it reveals the true die. This die may be removed from the top but more importantly from the bottom allowing the trick to be performed. Possibly Pontypool Circa 1820 Height 7¼” 18cm PROVENANCE
Private Collection, USA. EXHIBITED
The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, (with Stair & Co.).
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75021
A Queen Anne Gilt Gesso Pier Mirror This impressive mirror has a divided bevelled and arched mirror plate framed by a gilt gesso border. The gesso has been carved with a selection of motifs typical to this period. The principal motif is strapwork, but this is interrupted by foliage and shells set against an incised diaper pattern ground. The frame is surmounted by a stylised foliate crest carved with a shell and strapwork. English Circa 1710 Width 36� 91.5cm Height 87� 221cm PROVENANCE
Private Collection, USA.
21
22
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
23
51977
A George III Adam Period Serving Table Attributed to Mayhew & Ince This superbly proportioned table is likely to be the work of the famous London cabinet making partnership, Mayhew & Ince. Comparisons may be made between the carved central entablature on this table and the carved motif repeated along the frieze of a commode supplied to George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchelsea & 4th Earl of Nottingham for Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland. More latterly in the Simon Sainsbury Collection. The similarities in treatment of the ribbons, the draped bell flowers and clasped seeds allows little doubt as to the validity of the attribution. The table is made of mahogany, with a well patinated top, which has faded to a glorious golden colour. It is beautifully carved with ribbons and swags, fluting and stop fluting and rosettes with trailing bell flowers. It is an excellent sign of the quality of this table that the sides and rear legs are decorated in the same manner as the front. English Circa 1780 Length 84” 213cm Depth 30½” 77.5cm Height 34” 86cm REFERENCE
Christies. Simon Sainsbury Sale. 18th June 2008. vol.II, lot 250. R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 1954, vol. II, p.52, fig.56.
24
52059
A Large George III Blue John Urn The turned Blue John vase appears to be from one of the more compact veins, possibly the Old Dining Room Vein. It stands on an Ashford marble base with alabaster mouldings and Blue John sides. English Circa 1800 Height 13½” 34.5cm Width 5” 13cm
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75005
A Pair of George III Gilt-wood Wall Brackets Each rectangular shelf with beaded lower edge and tapering sides over a tapering fluted and scalloped support with acanthus and fruited finial. English Circa 1785 Width 11½” 29cm Height 17½” 45cm
25
26
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
90237
A Regency Period Circular Expanding Dining Table The table of outstanding quality with a
English Circa 1810
PROVENANCE
classic Regency base supporting a faded
Height 28½” 72cm
Private Collection, England.
mahogany top with a reeded edge and
Smaller Diameter 63” 160cm
four curved leaves which may be clipped
Larger Diameter 80” 203cm
to the table to increase its diameter.
27
28
75090
A Regency Period Giltwood Convex Mirror The convex mirror plate within a reeded ebony slip within a further border decorated with ebonised stars and gold spheres. The surround with deeply carved foliage which rises up to a platform upon which an eagle perches. The mirror flanked by two candle arms with brass nozzles, cut glass drips pans and drops. English Circa 1815 Width 37� 94cm Height 58� 147.5cm PROVENANCE
Private Collection, USA.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75178
An Amboyna Veneered Side Cabinet The stunning veneer employed in this
English Circa 1820
cabinet is amboyna. A wood which was
Width 59¼” 150.5cm
selected for its tightly spaced graining and
Depth 16½” 42cm
wonderfully rich colour. On this cabinet it
Height 35” 89cm
has been combined with ebony mouldings and carved capitals and plinths to the
On cabinet are
columns. The cabinet having two doors
75153 Pair of greyhounds (see page 97)
flanking the central section which has a
52075 Vulliamy clock (see page 14)
mirror back.
29
30
52030
A Pair of George III Serpentine Fronted Chests of Drawers Each mahogany chest having a well figured
English Circa 1790
top above a serpentine shaped front with four
Width 40¼” 102cm
graduated drawers each with lion mask ring
Depth 21½” 54cm
handles. The chests supported on four shaped
Height 32¾” 83cm
bracket feet. The colour of the timber has changed over time and that, with the build
PROVENANCE
up of patination, imparts a sense of warmth
Apter-Fredericks Ltd.,
and makes the chests all the more appealing.
Private Collection, London.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
31
32
90240
A Regency Period Tripod Table The table has the most exceptional coloured sabicu top supported on a faceted column inlaid with ebony decoration above a three splay base. To the top of the column is a small drawer, a feature we have never seen before. English Circa 1800 Width 19” 48.5cm Depth 19” 48.5cm Height 29” 74cm
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
33
51970
A Marquetry Tray Attributed to George Simson The most distinctive feature in the marquetry
English Circa 1780
manufacture, and latterly the firm identified
of this tray is the superbly naturalistic
Width 32” 81.5cm
their work with a stamp (recorded on at least
oval paterae, with petal-like lobes curled
Depth 24¾” 63cm
one piece dating from the 1830s). The items
up at the ends in an illusionistic manner.
so marked vary widely in style, so it is likely
Other features of the tray’s execution are
This refined marquetry tray is undoubtedly
that some at least were subcontracted to
no less accomplished, including the careful
by the same maker as a pembroke table
other makers and only retailed by Simson.
selection of veneers and the use of wavy-
bearing the trade label of George Simson,
Among the labelled pieces is another
lined joints in the outer burr-yew banding
‘Upholder, Cabinet Maker & Undertaker’
pembroke table of similar format – with a
to disguise its short sections. The upright
of 19 St Paul’s Churchyard. This substantial
central oval paterae – but not self-evidently
outer edge is expertly plied in three layers,
business, established in the 1780s, continued
by the same maker.
to strengthen its curved form, and trimmed
trading until 1839, latterly perhaps under
on top by a narrow cross-banded convex
the control of Simson’s son. The Simson
beading. Finally, the silvered handles have
label is recorded on a number of pieces of
clearly been purpose-made to fit this piece.
late eighteenth to early nineteenth century
34
51991
A Queen Anne Japanned Cabinet An outstanding lacquer bureau cabinet
CONDITION
which conforms to a pattern of five known
The interior of this cabinet is amongst the
examples. These are amongst the most
best preserved examples of lacquer work
elaborate and impressive examples of English
from the early eighteenth century. The
Japanning made at this time. Of the four, this
mirror plates and carrying handles are
example is the only one which does not have
original. The feet have been damaged over
a bombé base, however in all other aspects
the years but are predominantly original
they are clearly from the same workshop.
and during restoration revealed traces of the original gilding. The gilt-wood crest has been
The bombe base seen in the other examples has
replaced as have the handles to the drawers
led to the suggestion that these bookcases may
on the base.
have been made in Germany. This was an idea first mooted in the 1950s but further research
English Circa 1725
has confirmed that this form of furniture was
Width 45½” 115cm
most certainly English. Furniture makers
Depth 20” 51cm
like Giles Grendey (working in London in
Height 101½” 258cm
the first half of the eighteenth century) had a large export business to the continent and
REFERENCE
this might have contributed to the mistaken
Other examples illustrated;
suggestion that they were German. However,
Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair
there is absolutely no doubt that both the
Handbook, 1979. Example illustrated by
construction techniques employed and the
Mallett.
materials used are entirely English.
Sotheby’s London, May 1989 Lot 89. Christie’s Madrid, 16 May 1974 (illustrated in
It should also be noted that the quality of
Christie’s Review).
the construction and decoration are of the
H. Huth Lacquer of the West, fig. 195. Red
superlative nature one would expect from a
Bureau Cabinet formerly at Schloss Pillnitz.
London made piece.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
35
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
37
38
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
52003
A Pair of George III Sheraton Period Card Tables Their wonderful serpentine shape is emphasised
English Circa 1790
by the narrow frieze and tapering legs which are
Width 36” 92cm
decorated with swags, flowers and rosettes. The
Depth 18” 46cm
tops have faded mahogany panels with a satinwood
Height 29½” 75cm
banding inlaid with scrolling foliage and bell flowers. PROVENANCE
Pairs of tables of this period have become extremely
Apter-Fredericks, Ltd.
hard to find and we were delighted to have been able
Private Collection, Portugal.
to buy this pair back from an old client.
39
40
51860
51786
A George III Giltwood Pier Mirror
A Pair of Matthew Boulton Candle Vases
English Circa 1760
English Circa 1775
Width 36” 91cm
Height 9¾” 25cm
Height 71¾” 182cm 51547 90252
A Pair of Isaac Spackman Pictures (see page 44) 90232
A Pair of Flight Barr & Barr Wine Coolers English Circa 1820
A Regency Gilt & Patinated Bronze & Cut Glass Spirit Cask Celebrating Nelson’s Victory at the Nile English Circa 1810 Width 12¼” 3lcm Depth 10½” 27cm Height 11” 28cm
Width 12½” 32cm Height 13” 33cm 51919
A Pair of George III Chippendale Period Torchères (see page 42)
51183
A Pair of Chippendale Period Carved Mahogany Gainsborough Armchairs (see page 40) 51833
51751
One of a Pair of Commodes Attributed to Mayhew & Ince
A Rare George II Mahogany Bottle Carrier Irish Circa 1750
English Circa 1775-80
Width 26” 66cm
Width 54½” 138cm
Depth 16½” 42cm
Height 35” 89cm
Height 20½” 52cm
Depth 27¼” 69cm
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
41
42
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
43
51183
A Pair of George II Carved Mahogany Gainsborough Armchairs The serpentine backs and seats upholstered
which are an excellent indication of the high
in eighteenth century gros-point floral
quality of these chairs.
needlework with curved arm supports carved with acanthus and flowers on a punched
One from the pair, illustrated in The More
ground and a seat rail with similarly carved
Significant Georgian Furniture, F. Lewis
mahogany show-wood supported by carved
Hinckley pl. 39, p. 33.
cabriole legs terminating in scrolled feet. Width 29” 74cm This superb pair of chairs are remarkable
Depth 29” 74cm
for the colour and depth of patination to
Height 39¾” 101cm
the wood and the superbly carved seat rails
44
51919
A Pair of George III Chippendale Period Torchères Very much in the Chinese taste so prevalent
patron had them made to imitate and to flank a
in 1760’s England, this pair of torchères are
lacquer cabinet with the same decoration.
decorated to imitate oriental lacquer. One feature that is particularly unusual is the
English Circa 1760
speckled decoration in the flutes and to the
Height 47” 119.5cm
gallery. This is a feature more commonly seen
Diamater of octagonal top 12½” 31.5cm
on Japanese decorative pieces from this period and indicates that the cabinet maker responsible
PROVENANCE
had access to examples of this work.
Sold Sotheby’s New York, 23rd October 1998, lot 331.
Bearing in mind the quantity of furniture which was made on a commission basis, it is tempting to speculate that, in this case, the
Mrs Dorothy Edwards, Atlanta, Georgia.
46
90252
A Pair of George III Embossed Bird Pictures Attributed to Isaac Spackman These pictures, which would appear to be
books, Edwards studied these assiduously
Edwards’
in their original frames, are numbered 2
and, having made up his mind not to enter
source material for Samuel Dixon’s first
and 6. The different birds seen in each of the
business, decided to travel abroad. Between
set of ‘Foreign Birds’, issued in 1750 and
pictures are taken from original prints by
1716 and 1733 he visited many foreign
subsequent works by Isaac Spackman.
George Edwards and may be seen in signed
countries but in December of the latter year
examples by Isaac Spackman. One painting
settled down in London and, through the
Isaac Spackman (fl. c.1750-71) was perhaps
illustrating a Golden Crested Pheasant and
influence of Sir Hans Sloane, was chosen as
the most accomplished and prolific of artists
Cranes, the other with a White Chinese
Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians.
who specialised in bird pictures. Described
Pheasant Hen and Cock with a smaller
Almost immediately he commenced the
after his death by Horace Walpole as ‘a
Blue Ouzel.
preparation of a series of coloured drawings
painter of birds, of Islington, London, he
of animals and birds for his A Natural
also worked in watercolour on vellum’.
English Circa 1760
History of Uncommon Birds, published
Spackman produced his first set of twelve
Width 17” 43cm
1743 - 53. He was awarded the Gold Medal of
bird pictures in 1754, and further sets in
Height 20½” 52cm
the Royal Society and later elected a Fellow.
1764 and 1769, the earlier sets relating closely
Such was the impact on Natural History that
to those of Dixon, and in turn to George
George Edwards (1694–1773) was born
Edwards is considered to have almost single-
Edwards’ original illustrations.
at Stamford, Essex and was educated at
handedly popularized the art of bird and
public school in Leytonstone, later being
animal illustration, and is thus known as
apprenticed to a tradesman in London.
“The Father of British Ornithology.”
Having access to a large library of scientific
publication
provided
the
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75089
A Pair of George III Blue John Urns Each of tapering form on an ashford marble and alabaster plinth. The Blue John from the Winnats One Vein. English Circa 1790 Height 13½” 34cm PROVENANCE
Private Collection, USA.
47
48
51711
A Pair of Rococo Gilt-wood Pier Glasses Possibly by George Cole of Golden Square A superbly drawn pair of gilt-wood mirrors from the mid eighteenth century. These mirrors came from the same house and from a design perspective, were clearly made to work with each other. However, there is a size difference between the two mirrors. ATTRIBUTION
These pier glasses may have been carved in the same workshop as a distinctive group of furniture from St Giles’s House, Dorset, notably a pair of pier glasses that each have a similarly idiosyncratic group of sheep in an open cartouche at the bottom. This pair of mirrors, though rather more lavishly carved, also have comparable trailing flowers, C-scrolls and inner vertical sides formed as vestigial pillars with capitals. A picture-frame clearly from the same workshop as the pier mirrors was sold from St Giles’s House in 1980, together with another less closely related picture-frame and a side-table with a larger cluster of sheep in the apron cartouche. The sheep motif recurs in a pier glass of unknown origin, somewhat similar in composition to the present examples though more densely carved. The squirrel motif recurs in a remarkable set of pier glasses at Blair Castle, Perthshire, which were supplied to the Duke of Atholl by the upholsterer George Cole of Golden Square in 1761 and 1763.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
It has generally been assumed that these mirrorframes could not have been manufactured in Cole’s workshop, and they have been tentatively attributed to Johnson himself, again on the analogy of his Collection of Designs. However, they also relate, and may be indebted, to a design by Matthias Lock, which is of similar profile and likewise displays a full-length human figure in the cresting – a highly unusual and ambitious treatment. This relationship to the publications of two different designers is entirely consistent with production in yet a third London workshop. The reluctance of historians to credit Cole seems to arise chiefly from the fact that little is known of his career or output. However, it must be significant that he was also paid substantial sums for work at Corsham Court, where the State Bedroom houses a pair of oval pier glasses – again with squirrels – that closely correspond to a design by Thomas Johnson. The likelihood is that Cole supplied the Corsham mirrors too. He may of course have subcontracted these and the Blair mirrors to Thomas Johnson, or he may himself have supervised their production in his own workshop, taking inspiration from published designs. If he ran a more ambitious workshop than has so far been realized, he is also a candidate for the maker of the present mirrors. Mirror (left) Width 36” 91.5cm Height 72” 183cm Mirror (right) Width 32” 93cm Height 71” 180cm
49
50
52048
A Pair of Mahogany Demi Lune Commodes One commode has a drawer above a cupboard door opening to
English Circa 1790
reveal a bank of three drawers. The other commode has a door
Width 36½” 92cm
with a dummy drawer and opens to reveal shelves. Typical of
Depth 20¼” 51.5cm
the Sheraton period of the later part of the eighteenth century,
Height 36” 91cm
the commodes are light in feeling and make the most of contrasting figured veneers and tulipwood bandings. They
PROVENANCE
also benefit from having faded over time and having developed
With Jeremy Antiques. Advertised in
a rich warm colour.
Connoisseur Magazine, September 1981.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
51
52
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
53
54
51965
The Lulworth Castle Dragon Chairs These
wonderful
chairs
with
their
PROVENANCE
concentrated on the main reception rooms
quirky ‘Chinese’ ornament – notably the
This pair of chairs were almost certainly
and the Chapel, but in the 1750s he moved
intertwined dragons on the top rail – show
supplied to Edward Weld (1705–1761) for
on to the bedrooms: the principal bedroom
an inventiveness paralleled in the work of
Lulworth Castle, his ancestral home in Dorset.
on the first floor was hung with crimson silk
few other makers. While the overall design
damask in 1755–56.
reveals an awareness of Chinoiserie patterns
Soon after he came of age in 1726, Weld
published by Thomas Chippendale, Mayhew
began to refurbish the Jacobean house, a
The present ‘Chinese’ chairs were almost
& Ince and Robert Manwaring, it is not
gradual process that continued for over
certainly ordered for these family bedrooms,
directly indebted to any of these but is a
thirty years. Most of the work was entrusted
and several sets were supplied with minor
wholly idiosyncratic idiom.
to the local family firm of architect-builders,
variations. The type shown here differ only
joiners and upholders, the Bastards of
slightly from another pair of chairs that
Blandford Forum. Up to the mid-1740s Weld
were sold by a descendant of Edward Weld
English Circa 1755-1759
in 1991. These small differences may be due simply to individual carvers’ interpretations of a single design. A more distinct variant, of which four were also sold in 1991, has flowers and foliage carved on the seat rails instead of Chinese fretwork. Yet another pattern was produced with a more elaborate carved and fretwork chair-back. The chairs can be attributed with nearcertainty to the Bastard workshop, which during this period was managed by John (c. 1688–1770) and William (c. 1689–1766), two of the six sons of the firm’s founder Thomas Bastard (d. 1720). Consistent with manufacture in a country town is the choice of timbers – walnut for the show-wood (when mahogany would have been usual in London) and ash for the seat rails (which in Londonmade furniture were almost always beech).
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
52036
A George III Carved Mahogany Kettle Stand The top, with a spindle gallery, is a very good colour and sits upon a fluted column, supported on a tripod base formed by overlapping carved ‘C’ scrolls terminating in scroll feet. The carved decoration on the legs is identical to the decoration on a kettle stand formerly in the Leisdorf Collection. One can speculate as to whether the tables were made in the same workshop or whether the pattern for the decoration was published and available as a design source. English Circa 1765 Diameter 12” 31cm Height 23½” 60cm REFERENCE
Sotheby’s & Co. The Leisdorf Collection, New York 1974. lot 62.
55
56
75083
A Regency Brass Inlaid Mahogany Occasional Table with
English Circa 1815
calamander banding and brass moulding
Width 23¼” 59cm
above a frieze with a single drawer,
Depth 17½” 44cm
paneled sides and a carved leaf motif on
Height 28½” 73cm
The
rounded
rectangular
top
the corners. The table supported on four foliate capped turned reeded legs with
PROVENANCE
brass socket castors.
Private Collection, USA.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
57
52053
A Set of Five George III Period Counter Trays Given their quality, these counter trays
the door panels at Kedleston Hall and on
would have been made by one of the leading
tea-trays and caddies. Likewise the delicate
papier maché makers of the period. Henry
border patterns closely conform to those on
Clay of course, is an obvious candidate
our table, and other Clay pieces.
for their manufacture, and there are certainly enough comparable similarities
English Circa 1790
to be confident in this attribution. There
Width of larger tray 5” 12.5cm
are similarities in their decoration with
Width of four smaller trays 4” 10cm
that found on a table we recently sold. For example, the central motifs are painted in
REFERENCE
a manner very like those seen on the table,
Apter-Fredericks, Important English
and also like comparable motifs on other
Furniture, vol. V, p.94-95.
marked or documented Clay pieces, namely
58
90241
An Unusual Mahogany & Brass Bottle Carrier The design of this table conforms to a number we have had over the years but this is the first we have come across with a brass handle. A wonderful conversation piece, partly for its unusual design but also because of its purpose. It was intended to allow gentlemen to serve themselves and dispense with the need of a servant at times when discretion was required. English Circa 1800 Height 34” 86.5cm Diameter 12½” 32cm EXHIBITED
The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, 1990. ILLUSTRATED
Apter-Fredericks, Fine Eighteenth Century English Furniture, 1990, p.26. Malletts Catalogue 1991, p.37.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
51990
A George III Mahogany Circular Rent or Drum Table A very good Chippendale period rent table which
without the ‘estate agent’ having to move. The letters
retains its original swan-neck handles and has not
represent the first letter of the name of each farm being
been re-polished, hence the glorious golden colour.
rented out on a large estate.
The base, which benefits from the added interest provided by the ogee mouldings, has two real and two
English Circa 1765
dummy doors.
Height 30” 76.5cm Diameter 37” 94cm
As is normal with these tables, the top is leather lined and turns on the base allowing access to all the drawers
59
60
75105
A Pair of George III Carved Gilt-wood Over-Doors To each end of the over-door is a carved
on the Strand, London. These buildings
winged female sphinx which was a
were built by Robert and his brothers
regularly used motif in neo-classical
William and James, hence the name
interior design and furniture decoration at
Adelphi which comes from the Greek
the time these were made.
word for brothers, and were the first neoclassical buildings in London.
Indeed, their design has been attributed to Robert Adam, arguably one of the most
English Circa 1770
successful of eighteenth century architects
Length 55� 140cm
working in England. They are also reputed
Height 14� 36cm
to have come from The Adelphi Buildings
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
90250
A George III Chest of Drawers A delightful chest of drawers which combines
English Circa 1800
a variety of woods including satinwood,
Width 36½” 93cm
mahogany and tulipwood to create a highly
Depth 22” 56cm
decorative piece. The change in colour over
Height 35” 89cm
time to produce a variety of golden hues makes the chest all the more appealing. The top drawer with a fitted interior.
61
62
52037
A Pair of Sheraton Period Decorated Tripod Tables This delightful pair of tables are perfect for either
English Circa 1780
side of a sofa and large enough to accommodate a
Width 16” 41cm
pair of lamps. They have satinwood tops, which is
Depth 16” 41cm
quite unusual, decorated with a small amount of
Height 28¾” 73cm
painted decoration in the manner of Henry Kettle. The columns also have painted decoration and are supported on three splay bases.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75142
A George III Gilt-wood Mirror in the Manner of John Linnell This interesting mirror displays many of the motifs and certainly the originality of the leading London cabinet makers John & William Linnell. A comparison with their drawings reveals many of the motifs seen here illustrated in varying combinations. It is clearly combining the rococo design favoured by John Linnell with the influence of his son William, whose schooling at Hogarth’s Academy ensured an introduction of neo-classical design to the work produced by the firm. English Circa 1775 Width 34” 87cm Height 66” 168cm REFERENCE
H. Hayward, The Drawings of John Linnell in the Victoria & Albert Museum. FHS journal, 1969, figs 88-95. PROVENANCE
Private Collection, USA.
63
64
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
65
90210
A George III Mahogany Serving Table This highly interesting and idiosyncratic table is of extremely fine quality. The edge of the mahogany top is inlaid with an unusual diamond pattern decorative band. Below, is a central drawer spanning the concave centre of the frieze. In the middle is a carved entablature profusely decorated with oak leaves and acorns and to either side are mahogany panels bordered in tulipwood. The oak leaf and acorn theme is continued down each of the front legs before they end in spade feet. The use of the oak leaf motif, whilst not being unique, is certainly unusual and in this case, so well executed and profuse that it is fair to speculate that the client who commissioned the table must have specified its use. Possibly the house this table was destined for, or the client himself, had a connection to oak or perhaps more likely, the oak tree might have figured in the family coat of arms. English Circa 1775 Width 69” 175cm Depth 28” 71cm Height 35½” 90cm PROVENANCE
Hotspur, London. Private Collection, Canada.
66
75111
A George III Mahogany Three Pedestal Dining Table The rounded rectangular top has
English Circa 1815
a reeded edge and is supported on
Length 124” - 171” 315cm - 434.5cm
three pedestals, each with double-
Width 49½” 126cm
tapered stems on splayed reeded legs
Height 27½” 70cm
headed by carved roundels and with foliate-cast brass feet and castors.
PROVENANCE
The table having two sets of insertion
Private Collection, USA.
leaves, a larger set (24” 61cm) seen
Apter-Fredericks, Ltd.
here and a smaller set (12” 30.5cm).
68
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
69
70
Previous spread: 52042
A Matched Pair of George III Yew-wood Tables Attributed to Mayhew & Ince While not a pair, these two small tables
years replaced it with a Tudor Gothic manor
- A card table and a dressing-table at
clearly came from the same workshop. No
house. William Hodgson changed his name
Blenheim Palace, almost certainly part of
exact parallels have been found for their
to Hodgson Cadogan in 1833 when he
the Duke of Marlborough’s commission
rather distinctive forms – both with a shelf
inherited his wife’s family estates. William
to Mayhew & Ince (Hugh Roberts, ‘Nicely
at stretcher level, one of these recessed at the
and Sarah bore a son, named Cadogan
fitted up’: furniture for the Fourth Duke of
front. However, the marquetry decoration
Hodgson Cadogan and his daughter,
Marlborough’, Furniture History, vol. 30
allows a confident attribution to Mayhew &
Eleanor inherited Brinkburn Priory through
(1994), figs 23–25).
Ince. The prominent use of yew-wood veneer
the terms of her brother’s will. She married
is highly characteristic of the firm, and its
Hugh Fenwick in 1876.
arrangement in quartered panels of radiating
& Ince, sold Christie’s New York, 8 April 2004, lot 145 (which is also veneered in
figure, as seen on the tops, is probably unique
ATTRIBUTION
to them. Documented and firmly accredited
The Use of Yew:
instances of the various traits associated
- A group of side tables supplied by Mayhew
with the firm are listed below.
- A dressing-table attributed to Mayhew
& Ince to the Earl of Kerry (two of them in the Lady Lever Art Gallery); see Charles
yew, but with a burr figure) - A breakfront bookcase attributed to Mayhew & Ince, advertised by Asprey, Country Life, 2 December 1993 - A
bookcase
published
in
Mallett’s
English Circa 1770
Cator, ‘The Earl of Kerry and Mayhew &
brochure, 2005, p. 67 (there described as
Width 22½” 57cm
Ince’, Furniture History, vol. 26 (1990), pp.
‘in the manner of’ Mayhew & Ince, but an
Depth 16½” 42cm
27–33
attribution is justified.
Height 28” 71cm
- A secretaire at Chevening Kent (where Mayhew & Ince supplied furniture); a
The same Vitruvian scroll motif executed
PROVENANCE
very similar example was sold Christie’s
in carved mahogany appears in furniture
The Fenwick Family, Brinkburn Priory,
9 December 2010, lot 96 – and other
well-attributed to Mayhew & Ince, for
Northumberland
comparisons are cited in the catalogue.
instance a remarkable mahogany bookcase
In 1626 Brinkburn Priory was purchased
- A pair of bombé commodes with
sold at Christie’s 8 July 1993, lot 111. This
by George Fenwick, and the Fenwick family
provenance from Langford Grove, Essex,
is of particular interest as it was very
lived here until 1747. By 1766 the house was
sold at Christie’s London, 3 July 1997,
characteristic of the firm to execute identical
in ruins and in 1792 the estate was sold to
lot 97; and another nearly identical from
motifs in both carving and marquetry
the Hetherington family.
Simon Sainsbury’s collection, Christie’s
(see LMW, The Lady Lever Art Gallery:
John Hetherington immediately began work
London 18 June 2008, lot 65 – with other
Catalogue of Commodes (1994), cat. no. 22,
on repairing the house but died in 1808
comparisons cited in the latter catalogue.
p. 202).
when the work was left to his son-in-law, Richard Hodgson. His son, Major William
The slender Vitruvian scroll in the frieze
Hodgson demolished the older manor house
is also paralleled in several well accredited
in about 1831, and over the following six
pieces, notably:
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75034
A Pair of George III Oval Girandoles The mirrors having Prince of Wales feathers
English Circa 1780
to the crest which are surrounded by a
Width 21” 53cm
garland of oak leaves and acorns. This motif
Height 49” 124.5cm
is continued below. The twin branch candle arms add enormous appeal to the mirrors
PROVENANCE
and when candles are lit, the play of light
Private Collection, USA.
across the gilding and the soft light reflected into the room make the effect very special.
71
52033
An Important Mahogany Commode Attributed to William Gomm & Son This outstanding commode is strikingly similar to commodes supplied to Edward, 5th Lord Leigh at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire in circa 1763, the year he came of age. In this period, the firm of William Gomm & Son, cabinet-maker and upholsterer of Clerkenwell Close, London, were the principal suppliers of furniture to Stoneleigh Park; the commission from 12 May 1763 to October of the following year totalled a substantial £818 9s (Ed. G. Beard, C. Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, p. 350). At least six ‘Exceeding fine Serpentine Commode Dressing
1906, p.146, fig. 129; another is illustrated in
Tables’ were supplied to Lord Leigh by William
R.W. Symonds, Furniture Making in Seventeenth
Gomm & Son, five of these were charged at 12
and Eighteenth Century England, London, 1955,
guineas each and one at 15 guineas.
pp.110-111, figs.163 and 164; and a final commode from Moccas Court, Herefordshire, sold from
The existence of a design for a related chest of
the collection of H. J. Joel, Childwickbury,
drawers is included in Gomm’s sketchbook dating
Hertfordshire, Christie’s House sale, 15 May 1978,
from the early 1760s (now in the John Downs
lot 94.
Collection, Winterthur Library, Delaware, USA), illustrated in L. Boynton, ‘William & Richard
English Circa 1763
Gomm’, Burlington Magazine, June 1980, fig.
Width 48” 122cm
33, helps support the attribution of this group to
Depth 25” 63.5cm
Gomm. Significantly, the group include commodes
Height 33” 84cm
that have been in major collections of English furniture and illustrated in some of the more
REFERENCE
significant books on the subject.
The Burlington Magazine, June 1980, Lindsay Boynton, ‘William and Richard Gomm’, pp. 395-
Commodes from this group are illustrated in
400, fig. 33.
R.W. Symonds, Masterpieces of English Furniture
Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert, Dictionary
and Clocks, London, 1940, p.39, fig.28; another,
of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, pp.
with carving between the drawers formerly in
115 and 349-350.
the collection of Viscount Enfield, is discussed
Sally
in P. Macquoid, The Age of Mahogany, London,
p. 162, pl. 136, A.
Jeffery,
The
Mansion
House,
1993,
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
73
74
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75
76
52055
A George III Carved Mahogany Serpentine Sofa The sofa is of a form described in
by a pair of armchairs sold Christie’s London,
His initial training was as an apprentice to
contemporary pattern books such as Thomas
Longleat House, 13 June 2002, lot 338 which
the upholsterer Michael Bradshaw in 1738.
Chippendale’s Director and Mayhew and
are likewise attributed to Saunders.
The latter was probably related to George
Ince’s Universal System as ‘French’. This
Smith Bradshaw who became his business
example bears a number of characteristics
English Circa 1760
partner after 1750. The partnership ended
associated with the work of Paul Saunders.
Width 84¼” 214cm
in 1756, but Saunders was able to maintain
Depth 33½” 85cm
part of the workshop located in Sutton Street
Height 39½” 100cm
near Soho Square. In 1757 he was appointed
An attribution can be considered on the grounds of close affinities with a set of
‘Tapestry Maker to the King’ and in 1761
six armchairs and a set of nine single
Paul Saunders (b.1722-d.1771) supplied
he attained the additional role of ‘Yeoman
chairs probably supplied to the 1st Earl of
furnishings for both London and country
Tapestry Taylor’ in the Great Wardrobe,
Leicester for Holkham Hall, Norfolk by Paul
house clients in the 1750s and 1760s,
both of which positions he held until
Saunders in 1757 (see: Anthony Coleridge,
including
his death.
Chippendale Furniture, 1968, pls. 378-379).
Petworth House, Sussex, Holkham House,
Further evidence linking chairs exhibiting
Norfolk and Stowe, Buckinghamshire.
traits shared with the sofa here, is provided
Holderness
House,
London,
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
52011
A George III Drum Table of Small Size Simple lines, elegant form and highly practical, this table is a perfect example of eighteenth century furniture fitting in to the modern apartment or house. English Circa 1790 Diameter 24” 61cm Height 29½” 75cm
77
78
75219
A Regency Period Decorated Stool This interesting stool has an upholstered seat
English Circa 1825
above a hidden door concealed by simulated
Width 20” 51cm
book bindings. The theme carried through
Depth 15.5” 39cm
to the reverse of the stool where the back of
Height 20.5” 52cm
the books are also simulated.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75999
A Pair of Chinese Cloisonné Cranes These magnificent cranes are a reflection of the auspicious beliefs attached to red-capped cranes by the Chinese Court. According to legend, cranes could live for one thousand years or more and thus became associated with long life. In the context of the Imperial palaces they conveyed the wish for the Emperor to live a long life. The Chinese word for crane is he, which is a homophone for the word for harmony, and thus cranes also represent peace. Their long legs were described as resonating with the harmonies of nature and heaven. Chinese Late Eighteenth Century Height 9½” 24cm
79
80
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
81
82
52016
A Chinese Black & Gold Lacquer Screen Painted with an extensive lake landscape with scenes of pavilions, boats, figures, trees and mountains. The side cartouches are decorated with the Bo gu, or ‘Hundred Antiquities’ which consists of a group of archaic bronzes and objects from the scholar’s study, including gu vases with blooming peonies, fangding and bi discs, ruyi sceptres, ding, incense burner, musical stone and other precious objects. Chinese Circa 1850 Width 142” 361cm Height 71” 180cm
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
52050
A Pair of George III Decorated Pier Tables This delightful pair of satinwood tables
English Circa 1780
are decorated with floral bands to the tops
Width 30” 76cm
and panels to the frieze. At the time of
Depth 15” 37.5cm
manufacture the tables would have been a riot
Height 33” 83cm
of colour. The yellow satinwood contrasting with the purple amaranth borders and the
PROVENANCE
various colours of the flowers creating a
William Hulme Lever, 2nd
spectacular feast for the eye. Now the colours
Viscount Leverhulme.
have faded to an extent but the attractiveness
Purchased for the 1st floor landing at
of the tables is not diminished but rather
Thornton Manor by 1949 for £200.
enhanced with age.
83
84
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
85
51319
A Pair of ‘Harvey’ Armchairs Attributed to Gillow of Lancaster These chairs formed part of a set of ten
ATTRIBUTION
or more armchairs. One (from a group
The Gillow Estimate sketch books for the
of six sold by Norman Adams in 1965) is
period 1788 to 1797 illustrate designs for
illustrated in Christopher Claxton Stevens
various chairs which incorporate elements
and Stewart Whittington, 18th Century
seen in the present lot (see L Boynton,
English Furniture, The Norman Adams
Gillow Furniture Designs, Royston, 1995,
Collection, London, 1983, p.82.
no 272,273,275.) which would seem to link these chairs with this firm. The fine quality
English Circa 1780
of the carving and timber used, typical of the firm, would also support the attribution.
PROVENANCE
These chairs were almost certainly made
Further support for a Gillow attribution can
for lckwell Bury, Bedfordshire, the home of
be found because both chairs are stamped
the Harvey family. Originally built in 1680
RE. The stamp can be found on an armchair
for John Harvey, (illus. Country Life, May
which is identical to a set of chairs known to
5th 1955, p.1177) the house remained in
have been supplied by Gillow for the dining
family ownership until it was sold by John
room of Workington Hall, Cumberland
Audley Harvey in 1924. The house was sadly
for the Curwen family. The design for this
completely destroyed by fire in 1937. They
armchair appears in the Gillow sketch books
are recorded in an inventory of the contents
dated 19th January 1788 and intended for N.
of lckwell Bury in 1819.
Crompton, Esq., Manchester.
D.K.F. Heathcote Esq., Badlingham Manor,
The identity of RE is not conclusive, but the
Newmarket.
firm of Richard and Robert Edmundson or Edmondson, who were Freemen of Lancaster
REFERENCE
and had a cabinet-making business in
C. Claxton Stevens ‘A Group of Seat
Liverpool which started in 1781, must be a
Furniture stamped RE’, The Journal of the
distinct possibility. They are recorded on a
Regional Furniture Society, vol. XII, 1998,
number of occasions as working for Gillow
pp.1 56-1 59.
and set up an upholstery branch to their
For comparison, another related pair
cabinet-making business in 1788. They
is illustrated in L. Synge, Great English
could well have been subcontracted to do
Furniture, London, 1991, pl.143, p.126.
this work.
86
52093
An Exceptional George III Silver Table This extraordinarily rare table takes the form
English Circa 1765
of what is sometimes referred to as a ‘silver
Width 28½” – 48” 72.5cm – 122cm
or ‘tea’ table, designed for the serving of tea.
Depth 21” 53.5cm
This example has a mahogany top which is
Height 30” 76cm
of a very good colour with deep patination and has the very rare feature of a pull-out
REFERENCE
slide at each end. (one slide replaced)
The Collection of Irwin Untermeyer, Metropolitan Museum, New York. pl 201,
The pierced gallery has opposing ‘C’ scrolls at
fig 239.
each corner. This is a particular feature seen
Illustrates a tripod table with the
in a select group of tripod tables, including
same detailed gallery.
the example on page 94, which have been tentatively attributed to Mayhew & Ince.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
87
88
75111
A Pair of George III Adam Period Gilt-wood Girandoles The lyre shaped frame topped by a palmette seen
PROVENANCE
here is associated with designs by the architect
Private Collection, USA.
Robert Adam. In particular, it relates to his
The Late H.J. Joel, Esq., The Stud House,
girandole pattern of 1770 executed by John Linnell
Childwickbury, Herts.
for Robert Child at Osterley Park, Middlesex. English Circa 1770 Width 15” 38cm Height 33½” 85cm
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75024
A George III Mahogany Bracket Clock by Colley & Priest, London This exceptionally fine clock, in a superb mahogany case which has considerable presence, has a very important movement which incorporates all the features found in the work of their Masters; Thomas Tompion and George Graham. Interestingly, Colley and Priest’s workshop was located next door to Chippendale’s and it is felt that the case for this clock was made in his workshop. The movement with verge escapement and Tompion’s repeat work. The dial with silver spandrels and a silver signed cartouche. English Circa 1765 Height 26” 66cm EXHIBITED
The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, 1997. PROVENANCE
Private Collection, USA.
89
90
90251
A Pair of Regency Period Open Cabinets Of particularly fine quality, this pair of
of the rosewood with inlaid brass decoration
appealing for it. Unusualy for this form of
cabinets exhibit all the refinement and
would have been quite striking when the
furniture, there is a hidden drawer to each
quality of the best pieces of furniture from
colour of the rosewood was dark. Now, it has
frieze making them far more functional.
early in the Regency period. The combination
faded to a golden colour and is all the more
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
English Circa 1810
PROVENANCE
Width 30” 76cm
Apter-Fredericks Ltd,
Depth 12” 30cm
March 1993.
Height 33½” 85cm
Private Collection, UK.
91
92
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75101
An Extremely Rare George III Mahogany Barometer by Whitehurst of Derby The silver dial within a highly carved circular frame with stylised acanthus carving below a tapering column surmounted by a carved capital and acorn finial. English Circa 1775 Width 14” 36cm Height 39” 99cm PROVENANCE
A Private Collection, USA. The Benjamin Sonnenberg Collection. Sold Sotheby’s NY. 1979. LITERATURE
D. Fitzgerald, A New Yorker’s Unusual Collection, pl. 150 fig. 15. John Whitehurst (1761-1834) was from a family of clockmakers established at 22 Irongate, Derby. This barometer belongs to a small group which are considered Whitehurst’s finest achievements. Of this group there are two very similar with urn shaped finials, one of which is illustrated in English Barometers by N. Goodison. The other is in the renowned collection of Jon Gerstenfeld in Washington. Another example, with missing finial, is in the Dictionary of English Furniture. REFERENCE
N. Goodison, English Barometers 1680-1860, p.284. E. Lennox-Boyd, Masterpieces of English Furniture, The Gerstenfeld Collection. p.242, fig.99. R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, revised Ed., vol.1, p.34, fig.24.
93
94
75109
A George III Satinwood Side Cabinet This
outstanding
example
of
late
The cabinet stands on toupee feet
eighteenth century cabinet making is of
which have contrasting flutes and large
the very finest quality. The satinwood
brass castors.
veneers employed are interestingly figured and contrast well with the rosewood and
English Circa 1795
amaranth bandings and panels.
Width 71½” 183cm Depth 18” 46cm
The cabinet is unusual for having a superstructure,
which
adds
to
Height 46½” 118cm
the
usefulness and attractiveness of the piece.
PROVENANCE
Particularly appealing is the highly figured
Private Collection, USA.
satinwood panel and fretwork divides.
Stair & Company, May 1992.
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75043
A Pair of George III ‘Temple’ Form Candlesticks A highly unusual pair of temples with
English Circa 1800
bronze columns instead of the more
Height 9½” 24cm
typical glass and alabaster drip pans. The combination of materials adding a chic quality to the candelabra.
95
96
51996
A George III Tripod Table of Rare Form An exceptional tripod table which belongs to a group of tables easily identified by the form of the base and the distinctive fretwork gallery. At this time we have identified six examples. In addition, illustrated on page 84 is a silver table which may be related as it has the same distinctive adjoined ‘C’ scrolls to the gallery. English Circa 1760 Width 20¼” 51.5cm Height 31½” 80cm ATTRIBUTION
This tripod table relates to designs for ‘Claw Tables’ published in Mayhew &
The tripod table in situ in the garden room at Bassetbury Manor
Ince’s pattern book, Universal System of Household Furniture of 1759-62, plate XIII.
Irwin Untermeyer Collection, Cambridge,
338-341 and 7 October 1933, pp. 362-366. A
Such is the quality and innovative nature
Massachusetts, 1958, pl. 201, fig. 239.
number of pieces from the Skull collection
of the design that this attribution may be
F. L. Hinckley, Metropolitan Furniture of
are illustrated in The Dictionary of English
entirely justified. However, at this point we
the Georgian Years, New York, 1988, p.70,
Furniture, including a kettle stand (1927,
are unable to be any more certain than to
fig. 154.
vol. III, p. 151, fig. 3) which may be seen in
suggest its possibility.
F. L. Hinckley, A Directory of Queen Anne,
the same photograph of the Garden Room
Early Georgian and Chippendale Furniture,
as the tripod table.
New York, 1971, pl. 155, fig. 357.
PROVENANCE
Fred Skull, Esq., Bassetbury Manor, High
JUDGE IRWIN UNTERMEYER (1886-1973)
Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, sold Christie’s
EXHIBITED
The collection of British decorative arts at the
London, 23 April 1952, lot 262 (to Rubin,
London, Grafton Galleries, Exhibition of
Metropolitan Museum of Art owes a huge
presumably for Pelham Galleries, for
Art Treasures, British Antique Dealer’s
debt to the generosity of a single benefactor,
£682 10s).
Association, 30 April - 26 May 1928
Judge Irwin Untermeyer. Judge Untermeyer
(exhibited by Fred Skull).
left the Museum over two thousand works of
Judge
Irwin
Untermyer,
New
York,
bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1964.
art from an impressive collection that was FRED SKULL
refined and augmented over the course of
The table formed part of the exceptional
his life.
LITERATURE
collection of Fred Skull, formed under the
C. Hussey, ‘Bassetbury – II. High Wycombe,
guidance of the great furniture historian R.
In his forward to Yvonne Hackenbroch’s
Bucks., The Residence of Mr. F. Skull’,
W. Symonds in the early twentieth century.
catalogue English Furniture... in the Irwin
Country Life, 7 October 1933, p. 365, fig. 7
In 1929, Skull purchased and restored
Untermeyer Collection of 1958, he wrote:
(the table shown in situ in the Garden Room
Bassetbury Manor, a Jacobean country
”there has never been any time during
at Bassetbury).
house in High Wycombe. The house and
the past forty five years when I have not
Y. Hackenbroch, English Furniture with
collection are discussed in a two-part article
been interested in the acquisition of
some furniture of other countries in the
in Country Life, 30 September 1933, pp.
English furniture.”
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
97
98
52046
A Pair of George III Gilt-wood Brackets A pair of rococo gilt-wood brackets with beautifully carved pierced decoration including ‘C’ scrolls, foliage and ‘water’. English Circa 1760 Width 10¾” 27cm Depth 5” 13cm Height 10” 25.5cm
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
99
75153
A Pair of Regency Period Bronze Greyhounds Each patinated bronze greyhound reclines on a
(D. Watkin, Regency Furniture and Interior
white marble plinth banded with chased ormolu
Decoration, New York, 1971, p. 39).
decoration. Another pair have been attributed to Thomas Weeks English Circa 1810
(d. 1834) who established a ‘Royal Mechanical
Length 8” 20cm
Museum’ or emporium in Tichbourne Street in
Depth 4” 10cm
about 1797. The exhibits included various animated animals and insects, ingenious clocks, musical
PROVENANCE
instruments, elaborate temples, toys and other such
Private Collection, USA.
peculiarities that appealed to the London public in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century
A pair of greyhounds of identical design is
(C. Gilbert ‘Some Weeks cabinets reconsidered’,
depicted as a garniture on top of a chimney-
The Connoisseur, May 1971, p. 15). A signed
piece in Thomas Hope’s Household Furniture
Weeks inkstand with similar hound figure and
and Interior Decoration of 1807 (plate X) which
beaded white marble plinth was sold anonymously,
shows the interior of his Duchess Street house
Sotheby’s London, 5 July 1991, lot 25.
100
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
90248
A Pair of Nineteenth Century Marquetry Inlaid Étagères The étagères each have three tiers with
English Circa 1870
quartered veneer within a broad band inlaid
Width 16¼” 41cm
with floral marquetry in a variety of woods.
Depth 15” 38cm
Each tier finished with a pierced ormolu
Height 32½” 83cm
gallery and supported on columns that turn out below the bottom tier to form the feet with ormolu sabots and finials.
101
102
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
75097
A Regency Mahogany Writing Table by Gillows of Lancaster The leather lined rectangular top
English Circa 1810
with rounded corners above three
Width 48” 122cm
drawers to either side and supported
Depth 36” 91.5cm
on turned tapering reeded legs
Height 30” 77.5cm
terminating
in
brass
castors.
The table of excellent quality and
PROVENANCE
ofsuperb colour and patina.
Partridge Fine Arts, 1992. Private Collection, USA.
There are a number of similar tables with the same distinctive features
LITERATURE
supplied by Gillows for Tatton Park,
J. Hardy Furniture at Tatton Park,
Cheshire.
FHS journal 1970.
51713
A Pair of Regency Period Candlesticks This delightful pair of candlesticks,
They are made all the more charming
with a western depiction of an oriental
with each of them holding a parasol
couple are particularly romantic. The
which is hung with alternating acorns
lady holds a small cage from which
and bells. The acorns representing
she has released a love bird. The bird
strength and longevity and the bell
has flown to her lover who stands
the harmonious union between male
facing her with the bird perched on
and female.
his hand. Height 13” 33cm 75151
A Directoire Ormolu & Bronze Mantel Clock The circular enamelled dial with
Signed T. Boulengiere a la Haye.
maker’s signature within a leaf-tip and
France Circa 1790
guilloche frame. The tapering body
Height 15½” 39cm
mounted with pine cone finials and surmounted by an orrery. The clock supported on tapering and gadrooned socle on a rectangular plinth.
103
104
75173
A George III Gilt-wood Bracket Clock of Great Rarity The circular glazed Roman and Arabic-
PROVENANCE
chaptered white enamel dial with pierced
The Sir Michael Sobell Collection. Bought
blued hands and strike/silent lever above XII.
from Mallett at the Grosvenor House Art &
The four-pillar twin-chain fusee movement
Antiques Fair, 1959, and invoiced on 10 June
with tic-tac escapement and strike-on-bell.
for £525.
Four further pillars supporting a gilt barrel
Private Collection, USA.
movement cover, pull cords to the sides for trip strike repeat and spring-loaded pendulum
The acanthus-wrapped bracket features as a
activation. The bezel engraved with trailing
support for a vase in Robert & James Adam’s
foliage, in a gadrooned and beaded drum-
Works in Architecture, London, 1773-8, vol.
shaped case standing on flattened scroll feet
I., no. I, pl. VIII.
and an inverted breakfront plinth with fluted frieze and flower-head panelled angles. The
A related gilt-wood clock, supported by a pair
case flanked by laurel-swagged two-handled
of sphynxes standing on a plinth with fluted
urns, each with a pine cone finial, on a
frieze, flowered tablets and scrolled feet, is in
tapering acanthus bracket with spray boss.
the Court Room of the Bank of England. Its movement is by Edward Tutet of Fenchurch
The back-plate signed John Raymond
Street (see: R.J. Woods, English Furniture in
London.
the Bank of England, London, 1972, no. 38).
English Circa 1780 Width 18¼” 46cm Depth 8” 20cm Height 21½” 55cm
IMPORTANT ENGLISH FURNITURE
105
106
Page 20
Page 62
51686
51078
A PAIR OF GEORGE III BLUE JOHN COLUMNS English Circa 1780 Height 19” 48cm
A PAIR OF REGENCY PERIOD CUT GLASS CANDELABRA English Circa 1810-20, Width 10½” 27cm Height 16” 41cm
51687
Page 72
A NINETEENTH CENTURY BLUE JOHN URN English Circa 1830, Height 18½” 47cm Diameter 5½” 14cm Page 56
Settee image with 90239
A RARE PAIR OF REGENCY PERIOD MAHOGANY CELLARETS English Circa 1810, Width 21½” 54cm Depth 19” 48cm, Height 23½” 59cm
90244 & 90245
TWO BOHEMIAN GLASS BOTTLES Circa 1880 Page 57 51841
A MAHOGANY, FRUITWOOD & ORMOLU INKWELL French Circa 1820, Height 6½”16.5cm, Width 3¾” 9.5cm
The chandelier 51947
A NINE LIGHT CUT GLASS CHANDELIER BY PERRY & CO. English Circa 1860, Height 43½” 110.5cm Width 28” 71cm Page 88 52023 & 52024
TWO BLUE JOHN TAZZAS 75153 pr of Greyhounds (see page 97) 75099 Magic Box (see page 18)
Page 92
51940
51635
A PAIR OF FRENCH BRONZE FIGURES OF VOLTAIRE AND ROUSSEAU French Circa 1800, Height 18¼” 46cm
A PAIR OF REGENCY CUT GLASS DECANTERS Height 10½” 27cm
The painting Anthony Eyton, RA. (b 1923) BATHERS ON THE STEPS, VARINASI (NOW BENARES) Oil on Canvas, Width 59” 150cm Height 36½” 93cm
Acknowledgements Lucy Wood.
IMAGES
The William Gomm Drawing courtesy
Yvonne Jones.
The Garden Room, Bassetbury House
of The Wintethur Library: Joseph Downs
Daniel Brooke for the photography.
courtesy of the Country Life Picture Gallery
Collection of Manuscripts & Printed
Jason Hopper of District-6 for another superbly designed catalogue.
Ephemera.
265-267 Fulham Road, London SW3 6HY, United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 7352 2188 Fax: +44 20 7376 5619 Email: antiques@apter-fredericks.com www.apter-fredericks.com