RO N A L D PHILLIPS FINE ANTIQUE ENGLISH FURNITURE
the legAC Y oF thomA s ChiPPenDAle
A mAjor selling exhibition
RO N A L D PHILLIPS FINE ANTIQUE ENGLISH FURNITURE
THE LEGAC Y OF THOMA S CHIPPENDALE
member of the british antique dealers’ association
MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS’ ASSOCIATION
RO N A L D PHILLIPS FINE ANTIQUE ENGLISH FURNITURE
THE LEGAC Y OF THOMA S CHIPPENDALE
A MAJOR SELLING EXHIBITIOn
MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALERS’ ASSOCIATION RONALD PHILLIPS LTD. 26 BRUTON STREET, LONDON W1J 6QL Tel: + 44 (0)20 7493 2341 www.ronaldphillipsantiques.com advice@ronaldphillips.co.uk
contents
Foreword
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Introduction 8 A brief history of the Chippendale firm
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The collection
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From the Ronald Phillips Ltd. archive
182
Bibliography 196 Index 198
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© Christie’s
FORE WORD
Thomas Chippendale needs no introduction, as he is by far the most famous English furniture designer and maker ever. My researcher Thomas Lange, on the other hand, does. His work in putting this catalogue together has involved a huge amount of research and some major and significant discoveries. I am heavily indebted to him for his dedication and effort, which have together made this book possible. I am excited to celebrate ‘Chippendale 300’, the 300th anniversary of Chippendale’s birth, by staging this major selling exhibition in London, at both the Masterpiece Fair and in the gallery in Bruton Street. It has taken many years to put this collection together, and I am proud of what we have achieved at Ronald Phillips Ltd. and grateful to all my team for their commitment. On this occasion, I have decided to include two chairs showing the process of restoration. One (item 6 on page 36) is without upholstery; the second (item 36 on page 166) shows the original gilding before retouching. Together, these give an interesting insight into the underlying structure of the chairs, and also the care taken by Ronald Phillips Ltd. in conserving the original. I very much look forward to hearing from you by telephone on +44 (0)20 7493 2341 or by email at simon@ronaldphillips.co.uk, or to seeing you in Bruton Street and/or at the Masterpiece Fair from 28 June to 4 July.
Simon Phillips June 2018
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I NT R O D UC T I O N
Why do furniture collectors’ eyes light up when the name Thomas Chippendale is mentioned? And what is it about Chippendale that makes him stand out from all other British cabinet-makers? The answer lies in his combination of the most beautiful designs, which pay attention to the smallest detail, with profound functionality, cabinet-making of the highest standard and the use of only the best and finest quality materials. A piece of Chippendale furniture is a harmonious creation that is not only pleasing to the eye but also well-made and functional, as much so today as nearly 300 years ago. For these reasons the name Chippendale is today synonymous with 18th century English furniture of the highest quality. Such is the fame and desirability of Chippendale’s work that a documented piece by the Chippendale firm is often the leading exhibit in a museum’s collection, and the star piece in a private collection. This catalogue highlights a collection of Chippendale furniture assembled by Ronald Phillips Ltd. over many years. The collection presents an impressive range of pieces from the Chippendale workshop as well as from other workshops which followed Chippendale’s designs from The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, the groundbreaking publication which did so much to promote his name in his own lifetime. In the catalogue are iconic pieces from famous houses with welldocumented Chippendale commissions, including Harewood House, Brocket Hall, Appuldurcombe, Nostell Priory and No. 5, Royal Adelphi Terrace for David Garrick. Only a handful of pieces from the Adelphi commission have come to light so far, making the chair in this catalogue an important discovery. Another discovery is a lost gem
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from the Newby Hall Etruscan dining room commission, previously thought to have been lost forever, while the commission for Rockbeare Manor, yet to be documented, but firmly established, is an exciting new revelation for this previously unknown Chippendale house. The discovery of a third circular mirror from the White Drawing Room at Harewood House is also included in the catalogue. New research has revealed what the room looked like when it was first furnished by Chippendale. The catalogue also includes other pieces of furniture which on stylistic grounds were clearly made by Chippendale, but which so far lack documentation. Future research may firmly establish the Chippendale authorship in due course. The pieces included here that were made in other workshops clearly follow the designs from Chippendale’s Director in every case, and for that reason they are also part of Chippendale’s enduring legacy. I have been very careful in my attributions of pieces to the Chippendale workshop. One reason for this is that, although Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, first published in 1754, made him famous around the world, the popularity of the book’s designs with other workshops of the time led to many copies being produced by them. Although the standard of these copies varies, distinguishing the very best of them from pieces made by the Chippendale workshop is sometimes difficult. Another reason for caution is that documentation in the form of bills, receipts or payments recorded on bank ledgers for the furniture is very rare and sometimes not conclusive.
The furniture in this catalogue therefore falls into four categories: 1. Furniture by Chippendale These are only pieces that either have documentation, are exact repeats of a documented piece or have elements solely used by the Chippendale workshop. 2. Furniture almost certainly by Chippendale
These are pieces that do not have documentation but can be ascribed to Chippendale on the grounds of: – having construction features that are typical of Chippendale; – the use of metal mounts unique to Chippendale; – parts of the design being identical to documented pieces. 3. Furniture attributed to Chippendale These pieces are associated with the workshop on grounds of: – similarity of design to documented pieces; – having construction features that are typical of Chippendale. 4. Furniture to a design of Chippendale These pieces follow designs from the Director, but deviate in construction techniques and are perhaps less refined in their realisation of the original design compared with documented pieces from the Chippendale workshop.
I have not attempted to distinguish here between the work of Thomas Chippendale senior and of his son, Thomas Chippendale junior. The two worked alongside each other for many years, and it is not clear when the older man stopped and the younger took over, but both generations were relevant and made an important contribution to their celebrated St. Martin’s Lane firm. I have included, where possible, original invoices, auction sale entries and photographic records. I have also given a short insight into each commission, with some description of the patron behind it, in order to give a glimpse into the lives of those who bought furniture from the Chippendale workshop. Their reasons for employing Chippendale varied from trying to establish themselves in 18th century society and showing off their wealth, to following family tradition by using the same firm as previous generations had, to simply wanting well designed and good quality furniture for their homes. The main catalogue is followed by an archive section of important Chippendale pieces handled by Ronald Phillips Ltd. in the past. We have tried to show a range of pieces representative of the output of the Chippendale workshop, but without including too many similar items. Thomas Lange
London, June 2018
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The title page of Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1st edition, 1754
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A BRIE F H IS TO RY O F T HE CH I P P E ND AL E FI RM
Thomas Chippendale senior, school of Joshua Reynolds
The cabinet-maker whose name is now so celebrated was born in Otley, Yorkshire, and baptised Thomas on 5 June 1718. Apart from this, relatively little is known of his early years in rural Yorkshire, but he certainly trained as a cabinet-maker, perhaps under Richard Wood of York, who was later to subscribe for eight copies of his former apprentice’s book. Chippendale’s competent drawing skills suggest that he may also have trained as a draughtsman at some stage. Following his apprenticeship, he would have worked, like all other cabinet-makers of his time, for several years as a journeyman before starting up his own workshop. Chippendale moved to London some time prior to 1748, and in that year he married his first wife, Catherine Redshaw, with whom he had nine children. The eldest son, also called Thomas, was to work with his father until the older man retired, when he took over the business. By Christmas of 1749, Chippendale had moved to Conduit Court in Covent Garden, London, where he lived until 1752. His close friend Matthew Darley, an esteemed engraver who also advertised his services as a drawing teacher, took over the lease of the house when Chippendale moved to Northumberland Court. The friendship with Darley is significant, and it may have been Darley who taught Thomas his drawing skills. In 1753 the Chippendale family moved a short distance into large premises in St. Martin’s Lane, where many artists and artisans of the time already lived: the furniture- and cabinet-makers William Vile,
Thomas Chippendale junior
John Cobb, Thomas Johnson, Peter Channon and John Bradburn were all nearby. Competition must have been high between the many high-quality craftsmen in London, and in St. Martin’s Lane especially. As a marketing ploy, and perhaps to make himself stand out from his competitors, Chippendale at this point decided to publish a book of his designs. Having just embarked on expanding the business in larger premises, and with a young family at home, money must have been very tight, and the high costs of publishing such a book meant the risk was high. As it turned out, however, his plan was to be a masterstroke. An indication of the scale of Chippendale’s enterprise soon after this is revealed in a report in The Gentleman’s Magazine on 5 April 1755, which stated: ‘A fire broke out in the workshop of Mr. Chippendale, a cabinet-maker near St. Martin’s Lane, which consumed the same wherein were the chests of 22 workmen.’ The mention of tool chests is significant. Upholsterers, carvers, gilders and glass-grinders, all of whom were part of the workforce at Chippendale, did not have tool chests, and apprentices had to rely on the master for tools until they could afford their own. Only fully trained cabinet-makers would be able to afford these chests, which were their own property. The entire Chippendale workforce at the time can be estimated as numbering around fifty to sixty employees. The output of such a big company must have been considerable.
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The title page of Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 2nd edition, 1755
The title page of Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762
Chippendale & Rannie
Although books of designs had been published before, Chippendale’s planned volume was on a far larger scale than anything that had previously been seen. To help fund this ambitious project, he established a group of subscribers to ‘subscribe’ or pay in advance (at a slightly reduced price) for copies of the book. His partnership with James Rannie, a Scottish businessman and entrepreneur, also helped to underwrite the costs. Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director became a huge and instant success when it was published in 1754. The list of subscribers printed on the opening pages showed that, among others, many fellow cabinet-makers, joiners and carvers supported the publication, and this helped to spread Chippendale’s name and designs around the country. The book included 160 expertly engraved plates of ‘Elegant and Useful Designs of Household Furniture in the Gothic, Chinese and Modern Taste’, and it comes as no surprise that Chippendale’s friend Matthew Darley was responsible for most of the engravings. The ‘modern taste’ was the then newly fashionable rococo style, which was discussed and developed in meeting places such as Old Slaughter’s Coffee House, The Black Swan Tavern and St. Martin’s Lane Academy, all in very close proximity to Chippendale’s new premises.
A second edition of the Director followed in 1755, with a French edition the same year. As a result, the Chippendale brand reached throughout Europe and as far afield as North America and Russia, where the Empress Catherine the Great had a copy. A third edition, with many updated new plates, followed in 1762. By that time the rococo style was firmly established, and a new style was beginning to emerge, which would eventually replace it. This new style, neoclassicism, was rooted in the antique and inspired by the fashionable Grand Tour and the discoveries of classical ruins and artefacts at Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy. In 1766, James Rannie died. When the executors of his estate demanded repayment of what he was owed by Chippendale, and Rannie’s brother travelled from Scotland to facilitate the repayments personally, the firm plunged into financial difficulties. Chippendale’s desperate letters from this time asking Sir Rowland Winn and Edwin Lascelles for settlement of their outstanding bills make his predicament clear. The situation eventually became so bad that the firm’s entire stock had to be put up for auction in April of 1769.
Right: map of the St Martin’s Lane area, London, late 18th century
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Artists and craftsmen working in the St. Martin’s Lane area circa 1740–1770. (Shown on Horwood’s Map of London, 1799.) 1. Thomas Chippendale (cabinet-maker); 2. L-F. Roubiliac (sculptor); 3. William Hallett (cabinet-maker); 4. William Vile and John Cobb (cabinet-makers); 5. Matthias Lock (designer and engraver); 6. Thomas Johnson (carver); 7. Old Slaughter’s Coffee House; 8. James Paine (architect); 9. John Gwynne (architect); 10. Robert Edge Pyne (painter); 11. Powel’s Colour Shop; 12. Francis Hayman (painter); 13. The St. Martin’s Lane Academy; 14. Peter Channon (cabinet-maker); 15. John Bradburn (cabinet-maker); 16. Matthew Darley (engraver); 17. William Hogarth (painter); 18. Leicester House, residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales; 19. Sir Joshua Reynolds (painter).
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Brass plaque marking the location of the former Chippendale workshops in St. Martin’s Lane, London
Chippendale, Haig & Co.
By 1770, Thomas Haig, the former assistant to Rannie at the Chippendale firm, and Henry Ferguson, who had been a silent partner in Chippendale & Rannie, had both become partners in the business, bringing some stability back to the firm. Both men were executors for Rannie’s estate, and the decision to make them partners probably saved the company from total collapse. Thomas Chippendale junior had been working with his father for many years before taking over the business, but the exact time when the handover took place is impossible to ascertain. Thomas junior had trained as a draughtsman and designer. His influence on the Chippendale firm’s work can be seen early on in the transition from the rococo to the neoclassical. . Thomas Chippendale senior died in November 1779, aged 62. He was living in the London district of Hoxton at the time, where he had been treated for tuberculosis. The Chippendale firm continued to trade until 1803, when Thomas Haig’s death precipitated another financial crisis, this time resulting in the firm being declared bankrupt. A forced sale of the entire stock for a second time hit the firm very hard, and it had barely recovered when, five years later, in 1808, it was plunged into a second bankruptcy, causing further dismay. The firm was still trading from St. Martin’s Lane, but when the lease came up for renewal in 1813, Thomas Chippendale junior was not able to pay the higher rent that was demanded, and the firm gave up the premises which had been its home for sixty years. In the same year, Chippendale moved first to 57 Haymarket for a very brief time, and then to 42 Jermyn Street. In 1822, aged 72 and with failing health, he was working for the cabinet-makers France & Banting, and in January 1823 he died. Despite the company’s financial crises and declining fortunes in its later years, earlier astute management, the straightforward transition from father to son, and close connections with Robert Adam and other leading architects of the time all played a major role in the company’s success and its enduring legacy.
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The 1951 exhibition label on the reverse of the commode
1 A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED SATINWOOD AND MARQUETRY SERPENTINE COMMODE almost certainly BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The Victorian wooden knob handles, which were later additions, have been replaced with brass axe drop handles. English, between 1770 and 1772 Height: 34¾ in; 88.5 cm Width: 60¾ in; 154 cm Depth: 25½ in; 64.5 cm Provenance: Supplied by Thomas Chippendale to Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, for Harewood House, Yorkshire, England; Acquired directly from the 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE, in the 1960s for a private collection, London, England. Exhibited: Temple Newsam House, Leeds, ‘Thomas Chippendale – A Festival of Britain Exhibition’, 8 June – 15 July 1951, organised by the Leeds Art Collections Fund; no. 10. Illustrated: Temple Newsam House, Thomas Chippendale – A Festival of Britain Exhibition, 1951, p. 8, exhibit 10. Gordon Nares, ‘The Splendours of Harewood’, Country Life annual 1957, p. 42; The Green Drawing Room, formerly known as the White Drawing Room. Clifford Musgrave, Adam and Hepplewhite and other Neo-Classical Furniture, 1966, pl. 118. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 128, fig. 228. Literature: 1795 Inventory for Harewood House, p. 30. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. I, p. 198 and vol. II, p. 129, fig. 231. Lucy Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, pp. 54–7.
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The harewood house commode
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This commode, conceived in a transitional style between the rococo and the neoclassical, fits into a group of furniture by the Chippendale workshop sharing a similar outline and decorative repertoire. The distinctive inlaid roundel to the centre and the corresponding oval in the top relate to a commode and a secrétaire à abbatant supplied by the master for the State Bedroom at Harewood House, Yorkshire, England. All three pieces are constructed in satinwood and rosewood. The unusual ormolu mounts on this commode have so far not been discovered on any other Chippendale commission. It is possible that they were bought in for the piece rather than carved and cast specially for the Chippendale workshop. The furniture at Harewood has been moved many times since it was first delivered some 250 years ago. The house too has undergone many changes in that time, with each generation of owners making alterations to suit their needs. It is therefore no surprise that some pieces within the collection have become surplus to requirements. This commode was probably intended for the Saloon, where no wall space was left for it after Barry’s refurbishment. By the 1950s the commode had been moved to the Green Drawing Room (formerly the White and now the Cinnamon Drawing Room), where it was photographed by Country Life.
The commode in the Green Drawing Room at Harewood House,Yorkshire, in 1957. Country Life Picture Archive
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the harewood house mirror an important discovery
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2 A GEORGE III GILTWOOD MIRROR FROM THE WHITE DRAWING ROOM BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE This mirror, a remarkable discovery, is identical in many carved elements and in construction to a pair of mirrors sold from Harewood House, Yorkshire, England, in 1987. That pair, now in a private collection, differ in not having sphinx platforms. It was evident that our mirror had lost its ribbon tied roundel, and we were fortunate enough to be able to use photographic evidence and the experience of Carvers & Gilders Ltd. of London to reinstate it. The mercury silvered mirror plate is a replacement. English, 1786 Height: 6 ft 7¼ in; 201.5 cm Width: 4 ft ½ in; 123.5 cm Provenance: Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, Harewood House, Yorkshire, England; Collection of Chalmers Benedict Wood, US Foreign Service Officer and Ambassador, Wellington, New Zealand (1972–1974), USA. Illustrated: Ronald Phillips Ltd., catalogue, 2017, pp. 6–9. Literature: Christopher Gilbert, ‘Chippendale’s Harewood Commission’, Furniture History Journal, 1973, vol. 9, pp. 27–31.
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Robert Adam’s design for the White Drawing Room with the complete set of circular mirrors superimposed. © Sir John Soane’s Museum, London; Ardon Bar Hama
THE HAREWOOD HOUSE COMMISSION 1767–1778 Thomas Chippendale was first recorded working for Edwin Lascelles of Harewood House as early as 1767, and after Chippendale’s death the documented commission continued with his son, also Thomas, until the late 1770s. This remarkable commission may, however, have spanned almost thirty years, furnishing Harewood and other Lascelles family homes, including their house in London. Many of the Harewood papers relating to Chippendale’s work have been preserved, making it possible to identify some of the pieces by the master at Harewood. There are some gaps, however, and records of Chippendale’s early work at Harewood and the other houses have been lost. Harewood House underwent extensive refurbishment in the 19th century under Charles Barry, and many Chippendale features and fittings including the sphinx mirrors were removed, dismantled and stored in the attic of the house. Entire walls were removed, and the layout of rooms was changed drastically. The furniture was moved around the house over the years, making it almost impossible to ascertain which piece originally belonged where. Christopher Gilbert, whilst researching Chippendale for his seminal work on the master cabinet-maker, visited Harewood in the late 1970s and photographed the storage boxes containing Chippendale
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fragments. It was not until the late 1980s that the boxes were emptied and recorded systematically, and some mirrors were re-assembled where possible by Carvers & Gilders Ltd. Circular mirrors are exceptionally rare, and no other Chippendale commission for the supply of circular mirrors is known. A platform of identical size and design has been found in the store rooms at Harewood House. Identical sphinx carvings can be found surmounted on later pier mirrors in the Cinnamon Drawing Room (formerly the White and then the Green Drawing Room), where the mirror had originally been installed. This evidence links the mirror unequivocally to the other pair of circular mirrors and to Chippendale’s work at Harewood House. Research within the Harewood archives has revealed that this circular mirror was in fact originally one of a set of four mirrors. Two from the set were removed following Barry’s refurbishment of the house in the 19th century, but the other two, including our mirror, had been removed from the room much earlier, when wall space was needed to hang two large portraits. The whereabouts of the fourth circular mirror is not known.
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Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate CVI
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3 A GEORGE II MAHOGANY CHINA CABINET TO A DESIGN BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE The cornice is a restoration following traces of the original cornice and adhering to original Chippendale designs. The internal divisions have been reinstated. The doors in the lower section each reveal two adjustable shelves. RONALD PHILLIPS LTD
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English, circa 1755 Height: 8 ft ¾ in; 246 cm Width: 6 ft 10 in; 208 cm Depth: 2 ft ¼ in; 61.5 cm Provenance: M. Harris & Sons, London, England, 1930s; Private collection, USA. Illustrated: M. Harris & Sons, ‘Catalogue and Index of Old Furniture and Works of Decorative Art’, Part II 1730–1780, circa 1930s, p. 298. Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. CVI. This bookcase is a very good example of a design being used by an able cabinet-maker who had access to Chippendale’s Director. The Director was revolutionary in being the first concise book of designs readily available to cabinet-makers throughout Britain. The list of subscribers at the front of the book speaks for itself. Alongside the gentry, booksellers and an architect, there were chemists and even professors of philosophy, but most of those who subscribed to it were craftsmen in the woodworking trades: cabinet-makers, joiners, chair-makers and carvers. The need for such a publication and its subsequent huge success are both highlighted by the fact that some workshops tried to follow suit and publish their own designs. The bookseller Robert Sayer recognised the opportunity and followed in Chippendale’s steps by collating designs from various cabinet-makers, including Chippendale. Sayer’s book Houshold Furniture in the Genteel Taste was published in 1760 under the umbrella of ‘The Society of Upholsterers, Cabinet-makers, etc.’: it contained 180 designs on 60 plates. Chippendale’s Director contained 160 plates, almost three times as many. The price for subscribers to the first edition of the Director was £1 10s in loose sheets and £1 14s fully bound, with half to be paid in advance. The post-publication price was £1 17s in sheets and £2 2s for the fully bound book. In contrast, the price for Sayer’s book was only 6 shillings bound with string or 7s 3d bound as a book.
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THE BROCKET HALL SETTEES
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VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
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James Paine, Plans, Elevations and Sections of Noblemen and Gentlemen’s Houses, 1783, vol. II; detail of the interior of the saloon at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, including a settee
4 A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD SETTEES BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The settees have been re-gilded. English, 1773 Height: 3 ft 7¼ in; 110 cm Height of seat: 21½ in; 54.5 cm Width: 8 ft 1 in; 246.5 cm Depth: 2 ft 10 in; 86.5 cm Provenance: Sir Penistone Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne, Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England; Admiral Lord Walter Kerr, Brocket Hall, until 1923; Sir Charles Nall-Cain, Bart., 1st Lord Brocket, Brocket Hall, until 1995; Private collection, England. Illustrated: ‘Brocket Hall III, Hertfordshire – The Seat of Sir Charles Nall-Cain, Bt.’, Country Life, 18 July 1923, pp. 96–8. H. Avray Tipping, English Homes, Period VI, vol. I, ‘Late Georgian, 1760–1820’, 1926, pp. 19–21, figs. 30–33. Literature: Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 109.
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The settee in situ in the saloon at Brocket Hall, 1923. Country Life Picture Archive 31
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VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
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Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, 1923. Country Life Picture Archive
LORD MELBOURNE’S CHIPPENDALE COMMISSIONS FOR BROCKET HALL, HERTFORDSHIRE, AND MELBOURNE HOUSE, LONDON, 1772–1775 The Brocket Hall Saloon Suite by Thomas Chippendale The saloon suite commissioned by Lord Melbourne in 1773 for Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England, comprising twelve armchairs, twelve side chairs and four settees, was the largest suite of seat furniture ever made by Chippendale. Lord Melbourne inherited a fortune from his father in 1768 and set out to lavishly furnish both his London home, Melbourne House (now Albany), and his country seat of Brocket Hall. His wife, Lady Melbourne, played an important role in choosing James Paine as the architect and Chippendale to provide the furnishings for both houses. Paine, who was the only architect to subscribe to Chippendale’s 1754 Director, played some part in the design of the suite. The relationship between the two men appears to have been rather volatile: Chippendale submitted designs to Lord Melbourne without the full consent of the architect, prompting Paine to reproach Chippendale in a letter to his patron. Despite these upsets, Paine must have valued Chippendale’s furniture, as he illustrated some of the furnishings for the saloon at Brocket Hall in his publication Noblemen and Gentlemen’s Houses of 1783. Paine’s publication gives us a glimpse of what the furnishings of the saloon would have looked like. One settee was placed at either end of the room, each flanked by torchères, also supplied by Chippendale. The other two settees would have been placed at either side of the fireplace, with the chairs distributed beneath the pier mirrors and along the remaining wall space. The suite passed down by descent until the sale of Brocket Hall in 1922 to Sir Charles Nall-Cain, Bart. Sir Charles also bought some important furniture including the saloon suite in the furniture sale in 1923, thus ensuring that the suite stayed together and with the house. When Country Life photographed Brocket Hall in 1925, not only was the saloon suite complete, but also its original crimson floral damask was surprisingly still intact. The suite was eventually dispersed. Two settees and four armchairs were sold in 1994; the other two settees and four more armchairs were sold in 1995; and the four remaining armchairs were sold in 1999. A closely related suite was supplied by Chippendale to the Duke of Gloucester for Clarence House in London.
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Hexagonal tripod tables supplied by Chippendale to Harewood House, Yorkshire (left) and 19 Arlington Street, London (right)
5 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY AND SATINWOOD HEXAGONAL TRIPOD TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1770 Height: 28¾ in; 73 cm Diameter: 22¾ in; 58 cm Literature: Christopher Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, 1978, vol. II, p. 365, illus. 459. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, pp. 256–7, illus. 469–70. Adam Bowett and James Lomax, Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design, 2018, pp. 150–51. The Chippendale workshop supplied a number of ‘claw tables’ to their patrons’ houses, including Paxton House in Berwickshire, Scotland, and Harewood House and Aske Hall, both in Yorkshire, England. All of these tables were made of the best timbers and veneered with finely figured woods and exotic crossbanding. Tulipwood and gonçalo alves, and sometimes satinwood, were preferred for the crossbanding. The supporting column is fluted on all the known models. The most distinctive feature specific to Chippendale seems to be the execution of the scroll feet, which are virtually identical on many models. They are drawn in a very elegant and natural manner and rest on a platform, the front of which joins with the scroll in an elegant
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concave sweep. The leg itself usually has flat sides and a moulded top joining the central column with finely carved scrolls. The harmonious and pleasing design of the base of Chippendale tables is probably the reason why there appear to be few variations in Chippendale’s tripod designs. A drawing by Chippendale dated circa 1772 for a tripod base is in the collection at Harewood House. Chippendale supplied this drawing for the estate cabinet-maker John Walker. The result was a table of Chippendale design but lacking the master cabinet-maker’s finesse. The curve of the legs is drawn beautifully but appears rather clumsy on the actual table, and the scroll feet, despite following the drawing, appear less natural and harmonious. A bill from Chippendale to Lord Irwin at Temple Newsam, Yorkshire, dated 10 February 1774 is for such a ‘claw table’: ‘Hexagon table of very fine yellow satin wood on a neat pillar and claw – £4 14s 6d.’ It is very likely that such tables were ready-made and available to take home straight away. Tables of this type can be found in the collections at Paxton House and Harewood House, as well as many un-provenanced collections. A very beautiful satinwood example matching the description in the bill to Lord Irwin is in a private collection in Canada.
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A chair from the Gilston Park suite. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 6 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY LIBRARY ARMCHAIR TO A DESIGN BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1765 Height: 42 in; 107 cm Width: 29 in; 74 cm Depth: 29¾ in; 75.5 cm Provenance: Commissioned by William Plumber (1736–1822) for Gilston Park Manor, Hertfordshire, England; Frank Partridge & Sons Ltd., London, England; Phillips of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England; S. Eckman Jr., London, England; Hotspur Ltd., London, England; Private collection, London, England. Illustrated: Nicholas Goodison and Robin Kern, Hotspur – Eighty Years of Antiques Dealing, 2004, pp. 138–9.
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Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, pl. XXII. ‘Gilston Park, Hertfordshire’, Illustrated London News, 26 April 1851. Ralph Edwards, A History of the English Chair, 1950, pl. 74. Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, revised edition, 1954, vol. I, p. 288, fig. 198. Yvonne Hackenbroch, English Furniture with Some Furniture of Other Countries in the Irwin Untermyer Collection, 1958, pls 114–115. Sotheby’s, ‘The Collection of Important English Furniture formed by S. Eckman’, sale catalogue, 6 October 1967, lot 176. ‘The Sale Room’, Apollo, December 1967, p. 520. Desmond Fitzgerald, Georgian Furniture, 1969, item 60. John Kenworthy-Browne, Chippendale and his Contemporaries, 1971, p. 32, illus. 30. Geoffrey Wills, English Furniture 1760–1900, 1979, p. 22, fig. 17. Emily Eerdmans, Classic English Designs and Antiques, Period Styles and Furniture, The Hyde Park Antiques Collection, 2006, p. 116.
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THE GILSTON PARK manor chair
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Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, plate XXII
The design of the chair corresponds almost in every detail with plate XXII of Thomas Chippendale’s third edition of The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director of 1762. This edition of the Director had been updated and extended by Chippendale, and it contained many new plates with more rococo designs than the first or second editions of 1754 and 1755. The design for this chair is one of the new plates. The original drawing by Chippendale for this plate is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The carving is executed to a very high standard, comparable to the work of the master himself. The seat frames are constructed of solid mahogany. Comparable examples by Chippendale include the well-documented suite of seat furniture from Dumfries House, Scotland. The seat rails are made of beech with mahogany additions, which was both a more economical use of the more expensive mahogany and structurally stronger.
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Pieces from the Chippendale firm destined for delivery outside London always feature batten holes to the underside for securing them while being transported. The lack of batten holes to the underside of the rails on this chair further suggests that the suite was made by a local cabinet-maker rather than by Chippendale. The Gilston Park Suite This chair was once part of a suite consisting of eight armchairs and a settee. Today a pair of armchairs, as part of the Untermeyer bequest, and the settee from the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund are in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. A single armchair is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. A pair of chairs from the set is in a private collection in Switzerland. Gilston Park Manor was home to the Plumber family. The suite was commissioned by William Plumber MP and then passed down in the family until the house was sold and then demolished in 1851.
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THE ROCKBEARE manor SERVING TABLE a previously unknown chippendale commission
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Rockbeare Manor, Devon, 1930. Country Life Picture Archive
7 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY SERVING TABLE BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1770 Height: 2 ft 11¾ in; 91cm Width: 10 ft 4 in; 315 cm Depth: 3 ft 11½ in; 121 cm (at centre) Depth: 2 ft 10 in; 86.5 cm (at ends) Additional depth of curved edge: 1 ft 1½ in; 34.5 cm Provenance: Sir John Duntze, Rockbeare Manor, Devon, England. Illustrated: Christopher Hussey, ‘Rockbeare Manor – II, Devonshire’, Country Life, 3 May 1930, p. 643, illus. 2–3. Literature: Christopher Hussey, ‘Rockbeare Manor – I’, Country Life, 19 April 1930, pp. 570–76. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 193. The side table was originally en suite with a pair of pedestal urns, now in a private collection in New York, which conform in design to a suite of table and pedestal urns supplied by Chippendale to Paxton House, Berwickshire, Scotland, circa 1775. The fact that this table fitted into the curved alcove at Rockbeare Manor can be seen as proof that it was made for the space. Rockbeare Manor is therefore a newly discovered Chippendale commission.
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Left and right: the Rockbeare Manor pedestal urns, previously sold by Ronald Phillips Ltd.
SIR JOHN DUNTZE OF ROCKBEARE MANOR, DEVON John Duntze was the son of an immigrant merchant from Bremen who settled in Exeter, Devon, England. The Duntze family owned Rockbeare Manor from the middle of the 18th century and remodelled the house to its present form, apart from the second storey, which was added by the next owner in the 1820s. Sir John Duntze ran a highly successful business as a clothier and general merchant in Exeter. He became one of the founding partners of the Exeter bank Duntze-SandersHamilton & Co., and was partner in the London bank Halliday-Duntze-Pread & Co. until the 1780s. He also served as member of Parliament for Tiverton from 1768 to 1795. In 1769 Duntze extended Rockbeare by adding a dining room wing to the house. The Paxton dining room suite was delivered circa 1775, so the Rockbeare dining room suite fits into this timeframe perfectly. Sir John would have been in contact with fellow MPs in London who had commissioned furniture from Chippendale. It is also possible that he was aware of the workmanship of the Chippendale firm at Saltram House, near Plymouth, which is only a few miles away from Rockbeare. Coincidentally, the dining room suite at Saltram also features a curved serving table with accompanying pedestal urns. Sir John Duntze sold Rockbeare Manor in 1815 to Thomas Porter, who in turn sold it to William Nation in 1859. Rockbeare passed by descent to Colonel Spencer Follett and is still in private ownership today. The Rockbeare suite remained in the house until only recently. Research in the Duntze papers has not revealed any Chippendale invoices or any bank records for Sir John. These records may still be found at some stage in the future.
The serving table in situ in the dining room at Rockbeare Manor, 1930. Country Life Picture Archive
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the home house PEDESTAL urns
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The mask of Bacchus
Home House, No. 20 Portman Square, London, 1914. Country Life Picture Archive
8 A PAIR OF GEORGE III BRASS MOUNTED DINING ROOM pedestal URNS by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Each urn retains all the original brass mounts typical of the Chippendale workshop and has a removable lid revealing a lead lined interior for water. One pedestal, intended as a plate warmer, is zinc lined. The other pedestal was originally fitted with two drawers and now has a fitted shelf. English, circa 1775 Height: 67½ in; 171.5 cm Width: 17¾ in; 45.5 cm Depth: 17¼ in; 44 cm Provenance: Home House, No. 20 Portman Square, London, England; Private collection, USA. Photographed: Country Life, 1932, unpublished. Literature: Arthur Bolton, The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, 1922, vol. II, pp. 80–93. M. Harris & Sons, ‘A Catalogue and Index of Old Furniture and Decorative Works of Art’, circa 1930s, Part III 1770–1840, p. 335. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 194, pl. 353. Eileen Harris, The Genius of Robert Adam: His Interiors, 2001, p. 308, illus. 458; the dining room at Home House, London. Judith Goodison, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale Junior, 2017, pp. 370–71.
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BRASS MOUNTED PEDESTAL URNS BY CHIPPENDALE The pair belong to a small group of known pedestal urns that are virtually identical and are associated with the Chippendale workshop. One pair are in the collection of Paxton House, Berwickshire, Scotland. Another pair without provenance is in the collection at Cannon Hall, Yorkshire, England, on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. A pair en suite with a curved serving table fitted to a curved niche were supplied to Sir John Duntze of Rockbeare Manor in Devon, England, circa 1770. A further un-provenanced pair are illustrated in Moss Harris’s 1930s ‘Catalogue and Index’. A brass mounted neoclassical dining room suite, supplied to Sir Richard Worsley for Appuldurcombe on the Isle of Wight, England, has not yet been located. A pair of pedestals now lacking their urns are in the collection at Stourhead, Wiltshire, England. Another pair of pedestals without urns were supplied to Wedderburn Castle in Berwickshire. The well-documented pair of pedestal urns by Chippendale at Harewood House, Yorkshire, share the same basic outline, but their extra ormolu mounts and the use of exotic veneers put them into a different group.
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The pedestal urns in situ at Home House, 1914. Country Life Picture Archive
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THE URNS
HOME HOUSE, 20 PORTMAN SQUARE
The urns in this group all share the same outline and are turned on a waisted socle with gadrooned base to the body, fluted rim and pointed lid with gadrooned finial. All of them feature the same distinctive loop handles and Bacchus masks.
Elizabeth, Countess of Home was an extremely wealthy JamaicanEnglish heiress. She inherited vast sums of money and land in Jamaica on her father’s death, and in 1720, at the age of 16, she married James Lawes, a wealthy plantation owner and son of the governor of Jamaica. When disputes arose with the new Jamaican governor, the couple moved to London, where James died in 1734, leaving Elizabeth an even greater fortune.
The differences are largely in the use of mounts and variation in carved detail. There are two different types of swag mounts known: one uses rather flat laurel leaves with berries and was probably slightly cheaper; the other has more sculpted husk swags and probably more costly mounts. Paterae mounts and collar mounts are also seen in different variations on this type of urn.
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THE PEDESTALS The pedestal bases too are of identical outline and size, and all of the known examples either retain the original fittings or had them previously. One pedestal of the pair would have been zinc lined and fitted out with racks and a coal compartment at the base for warming plates. The companion pedestal would have been fitted with lead lined drawers for food waste and a pot cupboard compartment. The basic carcass is the same on all the models known. The pedestals rest on a plinth base and terminate in a fluted frieze with a stepped moulding above. The Paxton urns have the addition of a fluted collar approximately two inches tall above the plinth, making them that much taller than all the other models: this supports the theory that the carcass was of a standard design. A standard size would have made production far more cost effective. For example, the interior fitments for plate warmer pedestals were identical throughout this group, making them universal for this model. Variations occur on the execution of the door panel. All the pedestal doors currently known feature oval panels, but these can vary from oval carved inlaid paterae and oval veneered centres to oval centres with brass mount edging. The main veneer is quartered on all the known examples. All examples have carved paterae corners bordered by an astragal moulding. CHIPPENDALE STANDARD ITEMS The Chippendale firm kept stock on hand of their standard items, which were probably available for immediate purchase. A number of virtually identical examples can be identified, such as small hexagonal tripod tables (at Harewood, Paxton and Aske Hall, Yorkshire), Pembroke tables (at Petworth House, Sussex, England, and Paxton), bedside tables (at Paxton and Mersham-le-Hatch, Kent, England) and secrétaire cabinets with virtually identical cabinets (at Paxton and Aske). All these examples share very similar design and construction, with variations only in veneer choice, carved elements or alternative turnings. Pedestal urns of this model may also have been stock items, since there are a number of pedestal urns in existence of virtually identical outline and with only slight variations.
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Despite her wealth, London society may have been hard to adapt to after her upper-class life in Jamaica, and Elizabeth never quite fitted into the elite of the capital. Her marriage to William, 8th Earl of Home, in 1742, seems to have been a marriage of convenience and part of her struggle to be accepted socially. William deserted her after only a few months, but left her with her new title. Elizabeth, now Countess of Home, spent the rest of her life trying to establish herself in society by giving lavish parties in her newly built town house on Portman Square, originally designed by James Wyatt and finished by Robert Adam. The house is today seen as one of Adam’s masterpieces. No evidence that Lady Home commissioned Chippendale for her furniture has come to light, but the fact that she used James Wyatt and Robert Adam shows that she was eager to use the best craftsmen of her time in order to impress and gain social recognition. Chippendale often worked alongside Adam, who probably suggested him as a suitable supplier of furniture. After Elizabeth’s death in 1784 the house was occupied by a succession of residents including the Marquis de la Lucerne, the Duke of Atholl, the Duke of Newcastle, Sir Francis Henry Goldsmid, Lord and Lady Islington and eventually Samuel Courtauld, founder of the Courtauld Institute, which was housed there until 1989. Today Home House is a private members’ club. There is no doubt that the pedestal urns are by Chippendale: the question is, were they made for Home House, or moved there at a later date? Further research may in due course confirm a Chippendale commission for Home House.
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A comparable pedestal urn at Paxton House, Berwickshire
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VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
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A PAIR OF GEORGE II GILTWOOD SIDE TABLES TO A DESIGN BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
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Note: The Skyros marble tops are of later date. The tables have restorations to the back legs. English, circa 1755 Height: 37¾ in; 96 cm Width: 60½ in; 154 cm Depth: 30 in; 76.5 cm Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. XXXVIII. Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, pl. LIX. ‘Shardloes – Buckinghamshire’, Country Life, 8 July 1913, p. 23. Herbert Cescinsky, English Furniture of the Eighteenth Century, vol. II, 1910, p. 285, fig. 317. Connoisseur, March 1970, p. 17; advertisement with T. Crowther & Son, London. Country Life, 2 June 1988, p. 120; advertisement with Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers, London. Phillips of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, archive, image no. 04277. The design for the tables is inspired by plate XXXVIII of the first edition and plate LIX of the third edition of Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director. This Gothic chinoiserie design was adapted by many craftsmen of the time and its popularity spread as far as the United States of America. A similar single marble topped table, based on the same design, was with Phillips of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England, in the 1920s, and another is illustrated in English Furniture of the Eighteenth Century by Herbert Cescinsky. The design was also used for the stand of a cabinet at Shardloes in Buckinghamshire, England, illustrated in Country Life in 1913.
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Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate XXXVIII
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A GEORGE II MAHOGANY WRITING TABLE almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
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The long single frieze drawer is fitted out with compartments and has a swivel pen compartment to the side, beneath a sliding, gold-tooled tan leather lined writing surface. The central door opens to reveal a single fixed shelf, while the two doors flanking the centre each have two drawers behind, with their original brass ring handles. English, circa 1755 Height: 31½ in; 80 cm Width: 53¼ in; 135.5 cm Depth: 24¾ in; 63 cm Provenance: Ronald Lee Ltd., London, England; Mallett & Son Ltd., London, England. Illustrated: Country Life annual 1956, p. 167; advertisement with Mallett & Son Ltd. Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. LII. Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, pl. LXXVI. Anthony Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, 1968, figs. 245–6. David Pearce, London’s Mansions, 1986, p. 184, illus. 138. Peter Brown, The Noel Terry Collection of Furniture and Clocks, 1987, pp. 106–7. Adam Bowett and James Lomax, Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design, 2018, pp. 80–81.
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The writing table in the Noel Terry Collection, York
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Detail of the Noel Terry writing table
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This writing table belongs to a small group, three of which have come to light so far. While the other two tables are virtually identical in design, our table shows some variation. The construction of all three writing tables is identical. The legs are joined to a frame which is fixed to the main carcass with screws. All three cabinets have a bank of three drawers concealed by a door at each side, and the long frieze drawer is divided in the same manner on each piece and has a hinged quadrant pen tray on the right-hand side. The best dense Cuban mahogany has been used, and the quality of the cabinetry is outstanding. One of the three tables is in the Noel Terry Collection in York, England, and the other was retailed by Leonard Knight Ltd. An early photograph dated circa 1890 illustrates a table of this model in Lady Ellesmere’s boudoir at Bridgewater House in London, England. The furniture from Bridgewater House was dispersed in the 1930s, and it is possible that Lady Ellesmere’s writing table is the one now in the Noel Terry Collection. Thomas Chippendale must have been very confident about his design for the table, but it is evident from his description accompanying the plate showing its design on the first pages of the first edition of the Director that he was not entirely satisfied with the engraving: ‘This table has been made more than once from this design, and has a better appearance when executed than in the drawing.’ The same plate is published in the third edition of 1762, where the engraving appears to be unchanged apart from having been re-numbered, but the apologetic note is no longer included. Chippendale employed three engravers for the publication: Matthias Darly was responsible for 98 plates, Tobias Muller engraved 23, and his brother Johan Sebastien Muller was responsible for 26. Fourteen plates were left unsigned. The quality of the plates ascribed to each craftsman varies considerably, and it is possible that some engravings, despite being signed, are not in fact the work of the named engraver. The Muller brothers were relatively unknown at the time of publication, but Matthias Darly was one of the most sought-after engravers of the period, and his work for the Director added gravitas to the publication.
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Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate LII
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A GEORGE III GILTWOOD OVAL MIRROR TO A DESIGN BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE AND ATTRIBUTED TO WILLIAM MATHIE The mirror retains the original mirror plate, which was re-used from an earlier frame. The high cost of mirror plate in the 18th century meant that re-use was common practice at the time. Note: The frame has been re-gilded. Scottish, circa 1760 Height: 66½ in; 169 cm Width: 42½ in; 108 cm Provenance: Private collection, Scotland. Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. CXLVI. Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘Dumfries House – A Chippendale Commission’, sale catalogue, 12–13 July 2007, vol. II, pp. 72–3 & 86–7. The design for this finely carved mirror was published in the first edition of Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director of 1754. The execution of the carving is of very high quality, yet somewhat stiffer than comparable London carved mirror frames. William Mathie was apprenticed to Alexander Peter, one of the leading Edinburgh cabinet-makers in the 18th century. Both men worked independently at Dumfries House in Scotland, where Mathie carved several documented mirror frames to designs by Chippendale, which are similarly stiff yet exceptionally well executed.
Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate CXLVI
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The preserved ceiling from the Drawing Room, No. 5 Royal Adelphi Terrace, London. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
12 A GEORGE III GREEN AND WHITE JAPANNED OPEN ARMCHAIR BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: Careful conservation has revealed traces of the original green and white japanned surface, which has been reinstated. The green silk damask and the gilt nails follow Chippendale’s itemisation in the bill. The damask pattern chosen for this chair has been woven specially to a period design, and the green dye matches that of a limited number of contemporary green vegetable dyes. English, 1772 Height: 36¾ in; 93.5 cm Height of seat: 17 in; 43 cm Width: 26¾ in; 68 cm Depth: 26 in; 66 cm Provenance: David Garrick, London, England; Private collection, England. Literature: Mr. Saunders, ‘A Catalogue of the Library, Splendid Books of Prints, Poetical and Historical Tracts of David Garrick Esq.’, 23 April 1823. Messrs. Robins, ‘A Catalogue of Miscellaneous Assemblage of Valuable Property of Mrs. Garrick, Dec’d’, 23 May 1823. Mr. Christie, ‘A Catalogue of The Small, But Valuable Collection of Italian, French, Flemish, Dutch and English Pictures, The Property of the late David Garrick, Esq. Deceased’, 23 June 1823.
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Messrs. Burrell & Sons, ‘Royal Adelphi Terrace, A Catalogue of the late David Garrick Effects – in the Adelphi’, 3 July 1823. Messrs. Burrell & Sons, ‘A Catalogue of the Valuable and Curious Effects of The Late David Garrick Esq.’, 21 July 1823. Mr. Christie, ‘A Catalogue of a Valuable and Highly Interesting Collection of Engravings, The Property of the late David Garrick Esq.’, 5 May 1825. Arthur Bolton, The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, 1922, vol. II, 1922, pp. 18–49. The Garrick Club, London, pamphlet to mark the 1974 centenary of the late Sir Henry Irving’s membership, 1974. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 98, illus. 160; a bergère from the Garrick suite. Fleming & Meers Ltd., Washington, DC, USA, letter to The Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, USA, 19 January 1987. Halls Fine Art Auctions, Shrewsbury, England, ‘Catalogue of European and Oriental Ceramics, Glass and Works of Art, Silver and Vertu, Collectors Items, Clocks, Tapestries, Rugs and Textiles, Furniture, Picture, Garden Statuary and Militaria’, 3 September 1993, lot 206. James Hepworth, letter to Christopher Gilbert, 26 June 1994. Kerri Andrews, The Letters of Hannah More, digital edition, posted 24 June 2016.
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the garrick chair from no. 5 royal adelphi terrace
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THE GARRICK SALOON SUITE FROM NO. 5 ROYAL ADELPHI terrace The chairs formed part of a well-documented suite of sixteen armchairs, two bergère chairs and a sofa commissioned by David Garrick from Chippendale for the Saloon at No. 5 Royal Adelphi Terrace, London, England, in 1772. The Garricks’ patronage of Thomas Chippendale can be placed between 1768 and 1778. The original bills are in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Letters from Mrs. Garrick to Chippendale show how their working relationship became strained when a dispute arose over the cabinet-maker’s charges. When Chippendale filed a legal challenge, the relationship deteriorated further. David Garrick and his wife Eva Maria enjoyed a lavish life in London society. Both their houses – a villa at Hampton near London, and No. 5 Royal Adelphi Terrace – were luxuriously furnished by Chippendale and other leading cabinet-makers. Royal Adelphi Terrace, consisting of eleven houses designed by Robert and James Adam, was at the time the largest neoclassical building in the capital. When difficulties in construction pushed the Adam brothers close to bankruptcy, their friend David Garrick stepped in to buy No. 5, becoming their first occupant. A lottery to raise funds and to sell further houses saved the project from collapse.
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Floorplans of Garrick’s house were published by Arthur Bolton in his book on the Adam brothers. Most of the terrace was demolished in 1936, and only one house remains intact today. The first-floor Drawing Room at No. 5 Royal Adelphi Terrace was designed by Robert Adam and entirely furnished by Chippendale. The Drawing Room ceiling, executed by Joseph Rose, is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Thomas Chippendale’s bill to Garrick for the Drawing Room suite, dated 28 February 1772, states: To 12 very neat carv’d Cabreole arm’d Chairs, Japan’d Green & White, stuffed & cover’d with Green silk Damask & finish’d with Gilt nails Fine Serge Covers to Ditto 2 ditto Burjairs Japan’d in the same manner stuff d in linnen & a fine feather Cushion to do A large Carved Sofa to Match the Chairs, Japan’d Green & White, stuffd and cover’d with your Damask and finishd with Gilt Nails, a large feather Cushion cover’d with Do and Castors. A further four armchairs to match were invoiced the same year: 4 neat carv’d Cabriole Armd chairs Japand Green & white to match the others & stuffd in Linen Green Serge Cases.
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Adelphi Terrace in 1901. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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Chippendale & Haig bill to David Garrick, 1771–1772. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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An inventory of 1797 lists the green and white japanned suite in the Drawing Room. The walls of this room were covered in green damask with gilded fillets, creating a sumptuous background. The green and white japanned seat furniture which was placed around the walls was covered in the same green damask.
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Other rooms had similar japanned furniture. The four armchairs invoiced later were placed in the back room on the second floor where Hannah More, a family friend, lodged for some time. Her reports shed a light into the vibrant gatherings at the Garricks’. On one ‘great evening’, Hannah informed her family, ‘Lord and Lady Camden, their daughters, Lady Chatham and daughters, Lord Dudley, Mr. Rigby, Mrs. Montagu, the Dean of Derry and his lady, Sir Joshua [Reynolds] and his sister, Colman, Berenger’ and others were all present. Lord Camden, she thought, looked like an elderly physician, though there was ‘something of genius about his nose’. Following the deaths of David Garrick in 1779 and his wife Eva Maria 43 years later in 1822, a series of auctions between 1822 and 1823 sold off the contents of both their houses. The auction catalogue of Messrs. Burrell & Sons dated 3 July 1823, selling the effects from the Adelphi house, lists the suite in the Drawing Room. For the sale, the suite was divided into four lots: Lot 13 Four japanned cabriole chairs with crimson damask, 2 bergiere, ditto, with feathered cushion, and 2 stools with cushions. Lot 20 A japanned cabriole sofa, covered with green silk, damask and down cushions. Lot 21 Two bergeire chairs to correspond, with down stuffed in canvas cushions, in white leather and damask cases. Lot 22 Twelve cabriole chairs (en suite). Lot 13 included four armchairs from the suite as well as two bergère chairs and two stools which were not part of the suite. The stools were invoiced by Chippendale as being japanned white. Today only parts of the suite can be traced. The settee was once owned by the American dealers Fleming & Meers Ltd., Washington, DC, USA, and was offered for sale to the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, USA: sadly it cannot be traced any further. At that stage the settee was gilded. One bergère chair which has recently been repainted white and green is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum; the companion, repainted green and white in the correct manner, is in Bolling Hall Museum, Bradford, England. A single armchair with later gilding was sold by Hotspur Ltd., London, in the 1970s and is recorded in the Hotspur Archive. A further pair of armchairs was sold at an auction house in Shrewsbury, England, in 1993. The remaining eleven chairs from the suite have not yet been traced.
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13 A PAIR OF GEORGE III SATINWOOD AND PURPLEHEART DEMI-LUNE COMMODES almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE One commode is fitted with three drawers retaining the original Dutch axe handles, the other with a fixed shelf. The pair have been separated for a considerable time, and we have been very fortunate to be able to bring them together once again. English, circa 1780 Height: 32 in; 81.5 cm Width: 46¾ in; 119 cm Depth: 22¾ in; 58 cm The commode with shelf interior: Provenance: The Rt. Hon. Adele, Countess Cadogan, London, England; Asprey & Co. Ltd., London, England; Mrs. Dorothy Francis, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England; Ray Mill House, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; Private collection, England. Illustrated: Country Life, 7 August 1975; advertisement with Asprey & Co. Ltd., London. The commode with drawers: Provenance: The Rt. Hon. Mrs. Barton, London, England; Colonel Norman Coleville MC, Launceston, Cornwall, England; J. W. Blanchard Ltd., Winchester, England; Harrods Ltd., London, England;
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Frank Partridge & Sons Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, New York, USA. Exhibited: The Antique Dealers’ Fair and Exhibition, London, 1951; with Harrods Ltd., London. Illustrated: Antique Collector, May 1951; advertisement with J. W. Blanchard Ltd., Winchester. Antique Collector, June 1951; advertisement with Harrods Ltd., London. Apollo, 1953; advertisement with Frank Partridge & Sons Ltd., London. Judith Goodison, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale Junior, 2017, p. 338, figs. 148–9. The flower swirl paterae, typical of the Chippendale workshop, can also be seen on the satinwood sécretaire à abbatant from Harewood House, Yorkshire, England (shown on page 92). The reeded tapering legs are repeated on a suite of seat furniture from the White Drawing Room at Harewood. Chippendale produced very few demi-lune commodes. Apart from this pair, the only examples known to exist are one commode recorded from Denton Hall, Yorkshire, now in the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, USA, and two unrecorded commodes in a private collection in England.
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THE NOSTELL PRIORY OVERMANTEL MIRROR
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Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, 1939. Country Life Picture Archive
14 A GEORGE III WHITE PAINTED OVERMANTEL MIRROR ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The frame retains most of the original white painted surface. The mirror plate is a 19th century replacement. English, circa 1765 Height: 5 ft 9¼ in; 176 cm Width: 4 ft 2¾ in; 129 cm Provenance: Supplied to Sir Rowland Winn, for Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, England, or 11 St. James’s Square, London, England; By descent. Literature: Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. I, pp. 166–94. Gervase Jackson-Stops, Nostell Priory, revised edition, 1994, p. 4.
CHIPPENDALE AT NOSTELL AND 11 ST. JAMES’S SQUARE (1766–1785) This extraordinary overmantel mirror was until recently in the north bedroom on the second floor of Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, England. Although James Paine was responsible for some of the earlier furnishings at Nostell, this mirror is far more expressive of the style and grace usually associated with Thomas Chippendale. Following Robert Adam’s appointment to refurbish Nostell, Chippendale’s workshop was commissioned to supply a wide variety of furnishings, mainly in the then fashionable neoclassical style. The commission included furniture for the neoclassical state bedroom, but also the Palladian pedestal desk and even the butcher’s block in the kitchen. Sir Rowland Winn purchased No. 11 St James’s Square in London, England, from the Earl of Macclesfield in 1766. The original furnishings from this house were put up for sale by the Earl, some of which were bought by the Winn family and retained there until Sir Rowland’s death in 1785, when the house was sold. Some of the furnishings were moved to Nostell, and the surplus was auctioned by Christie’s in April 1785. It is possible that the painted mirror was originally intended for the London house and was subsequently moved to Nostell.
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A card table (one of a pair), with Roman head motif to the frieze, supplied by Chippendale to Newby Hall, Yorkshire
15 A PAIR OF GEORGE III SATINWOOD AND MARQUETRY DEMI-LUNE SIDE TABLES almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1780 Height: 29½ in; 75 cm Depth: 18¾ in; 47.5 cm Width: 37½ in; 95 cm Provenance: Private collection, England.
Detail of one of the Newby Hall tables
Literature: Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 223, fig. 408; p. 242, fig. 443; p. 261, fig. 476; p. 272, fig. 496; p. 273, fig. 498. The marquetry inlay to the tops and the frieze is very similar to tables supplied by Chippendale to Newby Hall and Harewood House, both in Yorkshire, England, and Appuldurcombe, Isle of Wight, England. The finely inlaid scroll border to the tops can be seen on tables for Newby Hall as well as a table formerly at Appuldurcombe. The unusual head motif in the top is repeated on the celebrated emblematic heads table made for the Yellow Drawing Room at Harewood House, and also on the card tables from Newby Hall. The finely engraved sunflower motif at the top the legs was repeated by the Chippendale firm on the marquetry library table and a pair of side tables from the dining room at Harewood House. The tables also retain a red clay wash to the underside. This practice is typical of the Chippendale firm. The colour would have helped to tone the otherwise bright underframe.
Detail of the marquetry inlay of a Roman head motif
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All these factors leave little doubt about the authorship of these beautiful side tables. Although not documented, they are certainly from the workshop of the St. Martin’s Lane firm.
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Top of a card table, Newby Hall
Top of a side table supplied by Chippendale to Appuldurcombe, Isle of Wight
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A table from Harewood House, Yorkshire, with similar base
16 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY AND GONCALO ALVES BANDED TRIPOD TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1780 Height: 29 in; 74 cm Width: 30¾ in; 78 cm Depth: 26¼ in; 66.5 cm Provenance: Private collection, USA. The design, of cabriole legs with scroll feet on a platform, is similar to that of tripod tables supplied by Chippendale to Harewood House and Aske Hall, both in Yorkshire, England, and to Paxton House in Berwickshire, Scotland. A drawing by Chippendale for such a leg with scroll toe on a block is preserved at Harewood House. The shape of the supporting bearers underneath the top is also typical of Chippendale, with the ends of the bearers elegantly decreasing in thickness. The mahogany veneered top is crossbanded with kingwood, a wood preferred by the Chippendale workshop for crossbanding.
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A chair from the set of fourteen supplied by Chippendale to Dumfries House, Scotland
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Drawing by Thomas Chippendale. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014/Art Resource/Scala, Florence
17 A PAIR OF GEORGE III MAHOGANY LIBRARY ARMCHAIRS almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1770 Height: 41¼ in; 105 cm Height of seat: 17 in; 43 cm Width: 30¼ in; 77 cm Depth: 32 in; 81.5 cm Provenance: Fogg Art Museum, Boston, USA, until 1987; Hotspur Ltd., London, England, 1988; Private collection, England. Literature: Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, pp. 132–3. Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘Dumfries House – A Chippendale Commission’, sale catalogue, 12–13 July 2007, vol. I, pp. 174–85, lots 50–52. Christie’s, ‘Régence to Fabergé – An Apartment by Jed Johnson’, sale catalogue, 20 May 2010, pp. 54–5, lot 85.
The chairs would originally have formed part of a larger set or suite, like most commissions by Chippendale. They have acquired a wonderful surface over the years, and the bold yet highly accomplished carved detail leaves little doubt about their authorship. The harmonious design of these chairs is characteristic of pieces by the Chippendale firm, but was achieved by few other workshops of the 18th century. The design for these chairs is preserved as an unpublished drawing by Thomas Chippendale in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The fact that it is unpublished supports a Chippendale manufacture, as it excludes other workshops who subscribed to Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director and copied its designs. Chippendale also never precisely repeated his designs, but modified them each time with subtle yet noticeable changes, thus keeping each commission individual. A similar model also based on the unpublished drawing was produced for William, 5th Earl of Dumfries in Scotland. The general outline of the Dumfries suite, which is fully documented and retained at Dumfries, is virtually identical, but slight changes to the front rail, the shape of the back and some of the carved detail make both models unique. Another chair from the same set, formerly with Hotspur Ltd., London, England, was until recently in a private collection in New York.
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An almost identical secrétaire à abbatant from Oare House, Wiltshire
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the earsham hall secretaire a abbatant a previously unknown chippendale commission
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Earsham Hall, Norfolk
18 A GEORGE III SATINWOOD MARQUETRY SECRETAIRE A ABBATANT almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Letters dating from 1855 from the previous owner, Captain Meade, and addressed to Earsham Hall, Norfolk, England, were discovered during restoration and are being retained with the piece. The drawers retain the original Chippendale typical lacquered brass axe handles. English, circa 1780 Height: 49½ in; 126 cm Width: 30½ in; 77.5 cm Depth: 16½ in; 42 cm Provenance: William Windham (1708–1789), Earsham Hall, Norfolk, England; By descent to Joseph Windham-Boyner (1739–1810), Earsham Hall; By descent to William Windham-Dalling (1775–1864), Earsham Hall; By descent to John Meade (1812–1886), Earsham Hall; By descent in the Meade family, Earsham Hall; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, London, England. Illustrated: Ronald Phillips Ltd, catalogue, 2012, pp. 60–63. Literature: Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. I, p. 62, illus. 97.
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Christopher Claxton-Stevens and Stewart Whittington, 18th Century English Furniture: The Norman Adams Collection, 1983, p. 125. Antique Collector, November 1988, Norman Adams Ltd. trade advertisement, no page number; an almost identical piece formerly in the collection of Lady Fry at Oare House, Wiltshire, England. Partridge Fine Arts, ‘Recent Acquisitions’, catalogue, 1991, pp. 62–3. Mallett & Son Ltd., ‘The Age of Matthew Boulton’, catalogue, 2000, pp. 26–9; an almost identical example. Christopher Gilbert in Jane Sellars (ed.), The Art of Thomas Chippendale, Master Furniture Maker, 2000, p. 30. Jeremy Musson, English Country House Interiors, 2011, p. 140. This secrétaire à abbatant belongs to a small group of secrétaires either documented or attributed to the Chippendale workshop. This type of secrétaire was very popular in France in the third quarter of the 18th century but was less widely produced in England, where few workshops are known to have made such pieces. Chippendale’s secrétaires for Osterley Park, Isleworth, England, and Harewood House, Yorkshire, England, although both veneered in exotic lacquer are identical in outline to this secrétaire. The interior is also fitted in the same manner. The secrétaire fall is fitted with an ingenious lead weight counterbalance, making opening effortless. Chippendale used
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A satinwood secrétaire à abbatant supplied by Chippendale to Harewood House, Yorkshire
this feature on all the pieces in this group, whereas other workshops are not known to have used the weight counterbalance. Other undocumented secrétaires which can be firmly allocated to the Chippendale workshop are a very similar one previously in the collection of the Hon. Lady Fry at Oare House in Wiltshire, England, and one sold by Norman Adams Ltd. and illustrated in their book on 18th century English furniture. Both of these pieces are constructed in a virtually identical way, with lead weight counterbalance and exactly the same drawer formation to the interior. The workshop appears to have had a preference at this time for using contrasting woods, and they can be seen on all examples in this group. Satinwood, purpleheart, holly and boxwood were used for the Oare House and Norman Adams examples, and our secrétaire features all of these as well as harewood and sycamore. The vase inlays to the front are of exceptional quality, and are made up of many more exotic and dyed woods. The appearance of the inlay is then enhanced by careful engraving and shading. Both techniques produce a three-dimensional effect by simulating depth and shadow. Chippendale’s bill dated 12 June 1773 for the Harewood House secrétaire is preserved in the Harewood archives: ‘A Lady’s Secretary vaneer’d with your own Japann with additions of Carved Ornaments & c Japann’d & part Gilt, the front of the Secretary to rise with Balance Weights £26 - - .’
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A secrétaire à abbatant veneered in Chinese lacquer, supplied by Chippendale to Osterley Park, Isleworth
EARSHAM HALL, NORFOLK Earsham Hall dates back to the 15th century and was home to the Gooch family, who married into the Buxton family. The Buxtons sold the house to William Windham in 1720. Windham’s grandson, also called William (1706–1789), became Comptroller of the Household of HRH The Duke of Cumberland. He and his wife Mary, Countess of Deloraine, engaged the architect John Soane and made many improvements to Earsham. It is likely that the secrétaire was ordered by them during this time. The house and its contents passed through numerous generations within the Windham family until John Windham Meade inherited it in 1919 and subsequently let the property to an American couple. During the Second World War it was used to house evacuees, and from 1948 to 1973 it served as a boarding school. The house was put up for sale in 1976. Today Earsham is the private home of the Derham family, who have restored much of the building, thus preserving it for the future. Further research may one day reveal documentary evidence of the commission.
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Aske Hall, Yorkshire. Country Life Picture Archive
19 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY SERPENTINE CHEST OF DRAWERS almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE The chest of drawers retains the original brass swan-neck handles. The surface has acquired a beautiful patination and colour. The concealed castors are original. The commode retains a paper label to the reverse side inscribed in ink: ‘Sir Lawrence Dundas at Aske Hall near Richmond Yorkshire and care of Major Lamb Collins Rookton’. Note: Two pommels and three back plates have been replaced. English, circa 1770 Height: 36¼ in; 92 cm Width: 42¼ in; 107.5 cm Depth: 23¾ in; 60.5 cm Provenance: Sir Lawrence Dundas for Aske Hall, Yorkshire, England; By descent in the Dundas family until 2015. Literature: Arthur T. Bolton, ‘19 Arlington Street: a residence of the Marquess of Zetland’, Country Life, 17 September 1921, pp. 350–54. Arthur T. Bolton, The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, 1922, vol. II, pp. 301–3, index pp. 34, 69. Anthony Coleridge, ‘Sir Lawrence Dundas and Chippendale’, Apollo, September 1967, p. 198. John Harris, ‘The Dundas empire’, Apollo, September 1967, pp. 176–7. Eileen Harris, The Furniture of Robert Adam, 1973, pp. 53, 65, 77, 91 & 99–100. Geoffrey Beard, The Work of Robert Adam, 1978, p. 66. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. I, pp. 154–8.
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THE ASKE HALL CHEST of drawers
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Paper label attached to the reverse side of the chest of drawers
THE DUNDAS COMMISSION 1763–1766 Sir Lawrence Dundas engaged many leading cabinet-makers of the time, but relied on Chippendale for high-class mahogany furniture, according to Christopher Gilbert. His exceptional wealth allowed him to lavishly furnish his many homes, and he commissioned items from Chippendale almost simultaneously for Aske Hall in Yorkshire, Moor Park in Hertfordshire, and 19 Arlington Street in London. Part of this commission was the celebrated suite of seat furniture for Arlington Street, which is to date the only proven commission for which Chippendale worked directly to designs by Robert Adam. No documented evidence has been found to firmly establish Chippendale as the maker of this chest of drawers, but the construction of the piece leads firmly to the St. Martin’s Lane cabinet-maker. The same original brass handles can be found on several of Chippendale’s documented commissions. These include a lady’s secrétaire at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, England, supplied in 1766, a chest on chest at Nostell Priory and chest of drawers at Wilton House, Wiltshire, England. The composition of the mouldings corresponds with typical Chippendale output, whilst the red clay wash to the underside of the chest further confirms its authorship. The blocking off on the underside behind the feet is built up in horizontal layers in the typical Chippendale manner, with each layer set at 90 degrees to the one before to create extra strength, and to allow adhesions to the bracket feet.
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Typical red clay wash on the underside of the chest of drawers
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the brocket hall saloon chairs
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Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire
20 A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD OPEN ARMCHAIRS BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The chairs have been re-gilded. English, 1773 Height: 36½ in; 92.5 cm Height of seat: 17 in; 43 cm Width: 26¼ in; 66.5 cm Depth: 26¾ in; 68 cm Provenance: Sir Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne, Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England; Admiral Lord Walter Kerr, Brocket Hall, until 1923; Sir Charles Nall-Cain, Bart., 1st Lord Brocket, Brocket Hall; Hotspur Ltd., London, England; Sir Elton John, California, USA; Private collection, California, USA. Illustrated: ‘Brocket Hall III, Hertfordshire – The Seat of Sir Charles Nall-Cain, Bt.’, Country Life, 18 July 1923, pp. 96–8. H. Avray Tipping, English Homes, Period VI, vol. I, ‘Late Georgian, 1760–1820’, 1926, pp. 19–21, figs. 30–33. Hotspur Ltd. Archive; a chair from the suite. For more information on Brocket Hall and the commission by Chippendale, see item 4 on page 30.
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The chairs in situ in the saloon at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, 1923. Country Life Picture Archive 101
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Foster of Pall Mall auction catalogue of the contents of Brocket Hall, 7 March 1923. © The British Library
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The library table supplied by Chippendale to Dumfries House, Scotland, in 1759
21 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY LIBRARY DESK BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE The desk retains virtually all the original ornate brass handles to the drawers, which are identical to the ones used by the Chippendale firm on the library table supplied to Dumfries House, Scotland, in 1759. The false drawers in the frieze on the front and reverse side conceal large side drawers. The reverse side of each pedestal is fitted with single doors, with two fixed shelves behind each door. Note: The leather insert to the top is a replacement. One side drawer is fitted with a double rising writing slope which is a faithful restoration, copying the Dumfries library table. The castors to the underside of each pedestal are 19th century replacements. Victorian lifting handles, one on each side of the table, have been removed. English, circa 1760 Height: 31¾ in; 80.5 cm Width: 60¼ in; 153 cm Depth: 38 in; 96.5 cm Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. LIV. Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, pls LXXIX & LXXXII. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. I, pp. 133 & 138, figs. 43–2. Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘Dumfries House – A Chippendale Commission’, sale catalogue, 12–13 July 2007, vol. I, pp. 124–9, lot 30.
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The desk is identical in almost every detail to the Dumfries library table. There are, however, two variations from the Dumfries model. Firstly, the reverse side of each pedestal on this desk is fitted with two fixed shelves behind the door, whilst the Dumfries desk has folio divisions in their place. Secondly, the two desks use slightly different types of mahogany. The Dumfries desk is constructed of fine mahogany and veneered with fine crutch veneers. This desk is constructed of slightly better fiddle back mahogany, and slightly finer crutch veneers. The Chippendale Dumfries account for the library table, dated 5 May 1759, reads: ‘a Mahogany Library-Table of very fine wood the top cover’d wt. best black leather, a Writing drawer at one End wt. a double rising slider cover’d, & drawers & Cupboards in the sides & strong triple wheel castors £22 - - .’ The design for the library table is based on plate LIV in the first edition and plate LXXIX in the third edition of Chippendale’s Director. A drawing for the double rising reading rest in the side drawer appears only in the third edition, in plate LXXXII: we know, however, that the Dumfries desk was delivered three years before the third edition appeared, and can therefore assume that this design, though not yet published, had already been realised some time earlier. There are twelve known commissions for various models of library tables by the firm, and prices range from £12 for a library table installed at Mersham-le-Hatch, Kent, England, to £36 for a table with carved ornament for Aske Hall, Yorkshire, England. Sadly, no bill has survived
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Drawer detail of the Dumfries library table
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Christie’s sale catalogue for Sir Rowland Winn’s furniture from 11 St James’s Square, London, April 1785
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Reading rest detail of the Dumfries library table
Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, plate LXXXII
for the celebrated library table made for Harewood House, also in Yorkshire, which is veneered in fine marquetry and mounted with finely chased brasses, but it is certain that the cost would have exceeded that of all the other library tables made in the Chippendale workshop.
The Winn family gave up the London house following Sir Rowland’s death in 1785, and its furniture was either sold at auction or brought back to Nostell Priory, Yorkshire. The library table recorded in the 1766 invoice is not at Nostell, but the Christie’s auction catalogue of April 1785 for 11 St. James’s Square lists it as being in the study there:
Lord Dumfries visited London in January 1759 to order the first batch of furniture, including the library table, and it was invoiced in May the same year. The relatively short period between the order being placed and the bulk of furniture being delivered suggests that some pieces were ready-made stock items that could be dispatched at short notice. The possibility that the library table falls into this category is supported by a virtually identical example having come to light. Further research may one day reveal the house this library table was made for. The lack of batten holes and marks of transport fixings suggests that the table did not have to travel far and was therefore perhaps made for a London house. A library table fitting the description of this library table was supplied on 23 June 1766 to Sir Rowland Winn at his London address, 11 St. James’s Square: To a very large mahogany Library Table covered with black leather and a writing drawer double spring and tumbler locks to ditto, covered with green cloth. £12
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No. XIV The Study Lot 2. A large mahogany library table with drawers on each side, top covered with black leather. The library table was sold to ‘MG’ for £6 6s. Unfortunately we do not know who MG was, which for the time being brings the research to an end, but it is possible that this library table came from Sir Roland Winn’s town house.
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Armchair from the library at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire
Armchair from the library at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire
22 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY ARMCHAIR almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1775 Height: 37 in; 94 cm Height of seat: 18 in; 46 cm Width: 26 in; 66 cm Depth: 24½ in; 62.5 cm Provenance: Private collection, England. Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Partridge Fine Arts Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA. Illustrated: Partridge Fine Arts Ltd., ‘Summer Exhibition 1983’, catalogue, pp. 50–51. Literature: Frederick S. Robinson, English Furniture, 1905, pl. CXXI. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, 1978, pp. 92–3. Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham, William & John Linnell, Eighteenth Century London Furniture Makers, 1980, vol. II, p. 36, fig. 68. Sotheby’s, ‘Important English Furniture, Decoration, Clocks and Carpets’, New York, 29 October 1983, lot 112. Adam Bowett and James Lomax, Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design, 2018, pp. 106–11.
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Robert Adam’s lyre-back design was first executed for the library at Osterley Park, Isleworth, England, by the Linnell workshop, and Chippendale’s first lyre-back chairs were supplied for the library at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, England, in 1768. The lyre motif symbolises poetry and therefore complements the decorative scheme for libraries. The set of library chairs for Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England, from some five years later, differ slightly in design, in being more simplified. The lyre back of the Brocket chairs is almost identical to that of our chair. The tapering square legs, or ‘term feet’ as Chippendale describes them, can be found on the dining chairs from Brocket Hall now in the Winterthur Museum in Delaware, USA, and on dining chairs supplied to Harewood House, Yorkshire. Another undocumented set with the distinctive lyre back can be found at Scampston Hall, Yorkshire. The Scampston set, which also features tapering square legs, unlike the earlier Nostell and Brocket variants, is closest in design to our chair. It is different from the Scampston set only in the position of the arms: the Scampston arms are set further back along the seat rail. The quality of carving and construction, however, leaves no doubt about the Chippendale authorship.
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Drawing by Thomas Chippendale for a tripod table leg. Courtesy of The Harewood House Trust
23 A GEORGE III DECAGONAL MAHOGANY TRIPOD TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1780 Height: 29 in; 73.5 cm Diameter: 36½ in; 93 cm Provenance: Private collection, England. The design of the leg with its inward scrolling toe on a castor relates in great detail to a drawing by Chippendale preserved at Harewood House, Yorkshire, England. The choice of beautiful and fine crutch veneers for the top and the shaping of the bearers to the underside of the table top support the Chippendale attribution.
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A torchère from a set of six. Courtesy of The Harewood House Trust
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24 A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD TORCHERES Almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE The torchères retain some of the original gilding. Note: The statuary marble inserts are later replacements. English, circa 1780
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Height of torchères: 5 ft 2¼ in; 158 cm Height of torchères with candelabra: 6 ft 7 in; 200.5 cm Width: 1 ft 6¼ in; 46.5 cm Depth: 1 ft 3½ in; 39.5 cm
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Provenance: Private collection, USA. Illustrated: Ronald Phillips Ltd, catalogue, 2017, pp. 34–7. Literature: Robert Adam, Works in Architecture, vol. I, 1773, pl. VIII, nos. 1–3. Desmond Fitzgerald, ‘Chippendale’s Place in the English Rococo’, Furniture History Journal annual, 1968, pl. 4; a drawing for a pedestal with rams’ heads. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 209, illus. 382. Jill Low, ‘Newby Hall – Two Late Eighteenth-Century Inventories’, Furniture History Journal annual, 1986, fig. 1. Robert Adam designed similar stands with concave sides for the Earl of Derby’s house on Grosvenor Square in London, England, and for William Weddell of Newby Hall, Yorkshire, England. A suite of six torchères with concave triform bases with many related features was supplied by Chippendale to Edwin Lascelles at Harewood House, Yorkshire, circa 1779. These torchères are a simplified version of the Harewood set, while characteristic elements such as the rams’ heads, guilloche bands and acanthus carving are virtually identical, leaving little doubt that this pair were also produced by the Chippendale workshop.
25 A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD THREE LIGHT CANDELABRA ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The brass candle nozzles, brass drip pans and white marble socles are of later date. A very similar candelabrum is shown in Judith Goodison’s book on Thomas Chippendale junior. English, circa 1780 Height: 21 in; 53 cm Width: 18¾ in; 47.5 cm Depth: 7 in; 18 cm Literature: Judith Goodison, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale Junior, 2017, pp. 372–3, fig. 199.
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THE APPULDURCOMBE armCHAIRS
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Appuldurcombe House, Isle of Wight
26 A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD OPEN ARMCHAIRS BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The chairs retain the original floral tapestry covers. The gilding has been refreshed. English, between 1776 and 1778 Height: 37¼ in; 94.5 cm Height of seat: 17½ in; 44.5 cm Width: 24½ in; 62 cm Depth: 24¾ in; 62.5 cm Provenance: Sir Richard Worsley (1751–1805), 7th Baronet of Appuldurcombe, Isle of Wight, England; The Maharaja of Baroda; The property of a gentleman, until 1968; Mallett & Son Ltd. London, England; Private collection, London, England. Illustrated: Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘English Clocks and Objects of Art – Fine English Furniture – Textiles, Rugs and Carpets’, London, 20 June 1968, p. 26, lot 110. Lanto Synge, Chairs, 1978, pl. 56. Apter-Fredericks, no title, pamphlet, 2009, no page numbers. Literature: Archives of Hoare’s Bank, London, Sir Richard Worsley’s account, 1776, Ledger 89, folios 17–457. Eileen Harris, ‘Adam and the Gobelins’, Apollo, April 1962, p.102. Lindsay Boynton, ‘Inventory of Appuldurcombe’, Furniture History Journal, 1964, pp. 37–58. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, vol. I, 1978, pp. 280–82.
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THE APPULDURCOMBE COMMISSION, 1776–1778 Sir Richard Worsley’s bank records survive at Hoare’s Bank in London, where these five substantial payments were made between the years 1776 and 1778:
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2 March 1776 27 March 1776 2 December 1776 4 March 1778 14 April 1778
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To Chippendale & Co. To Chippendale & Co. To Chippendale & Co. To Chippendale & Co. To Chippendale & Co.
£980 £75 £83 £1000 £500
--4 ---
--9 ---
Sir Richard Worsley inherited the house and estate of Appuldurcombe on the Isle of Wight, England, in 1768. When he embarked on refurbishing Appuldurcombe in 1774, he chose Chippendale to supply the furnishings for the house in the latest neoclassical fashion. Sir Richard also ordered tapestries from the Gobelins factory in Paris, as he passed through on his way back home from the Grand Tour. He was one of a select group of six English clients who placed orders at the factory during the lull between the Peace of Paris of 1763 and the start of the French Revolution in 1789. The other patrons were the Earl of Coventry, William Weddell, Sir Henry Bridgeman, Sir Lawrence Dundas and Robert Child. According to the inventory, the wall panels ordered depicted the Arts and Sciences, following a design used for the Marquis of Marigny and Madame de Pompadour. The design of the seat covers is attributed to Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (1636–1699), who is known to have supplied designs to the Gobelins factory in the 17th century. These designs were still in use one hundred years later. Sir Richard married Seymour Dorothy Flemming, stepdaughter of Edwin Lascelles. The connection to the Lascelles family and through them to Harewood House is possibly another reason why Worsley commissioned the furnishings for Appuldurcombe from the Chippendale workshop. The marriage, however, ended in scandal and a subsequent court case which made Worsley notorious throughout the country and forced him to retreat abroad. After several years in Spain, Portugal and France, Sir Richard returned to Appuldurcombe and died in 1805. Through his daughter’s marriage, Appuldurcombe passed to the Earl of Yarborough. Some of the contents were moved to the Yarborough family seat of Brocklesby Park in Lincolnshire, England. Appuldurcombe House was eventually sold in 1855, and today the house is a mere shadow of its former glory. The Chippendale suite passed through the hands of numerous owners, including the Maharaja of Baroda, and during his ownership it was still a complete set of eight chairs and a sofa. Two chairs from the suite were formerly with Apter-Fredericks; the same pair, formerly with Mallett & Son, is illustrated in Lanto Synge’s book on chairs. The sofa and the other four chairs have not yet been traced. Apart from considerable payments to Chippendale between 1776 and 1778, comparatively little is known about the furniture Chippendale supplied to the house. An inventory from 1779 at Appuldurcombe mentions the suite as ‘8 Cabriole elbow chairs carv’d & gilt in burnish’d gold & cover’d with Gobelins Tapestry. A Sofa to match, cover’d wt. Do.’ Stylistically the chairs fit perfectly into the company’s late 1770s oeuvre and are consistent with Thomas Chippendale junior’s influence on the company’s output. The flared, reeded legs can be seen on many of Chippendale junior’s neoclassical designs.
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Johan Zoffany, The Garden at Hampton House with Mr. and Mrs. Garrick taking tea, 1762. Courtesy of The Garrick Club, London
27 A GEORGE II MAHOGANY SUPPER TABLE Almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE The table retains the original brass wire panels and the original brass axe handles. English, circa 1755–1760 Height: 28¼ in; 71.5 cm Width (leaves down): 22½ in; 57 cm Width (leaves up): 40¾ in; 103.5 cm Depth: 27¾ in; 70.5 cm Provenance: Biggs of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. Illustrated: Country Life, 7 December 1961, supplement p. 33; advertisement with Biggs of Maidenhead. Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. XXXIII. Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, pl. LIII. Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, revised edition, 1954, vol. III, pp. 190–91. Desmond Fitzgerald, Georgian Furniture, 1969, pl. 80. Connoisseur, September 1972, p. 19; advertisement with Phillips of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 219. Burlington Magazine, June 2001, no page no.; advertisement with Norman Adams Ltd., London, England. Country Life, 7 March 2002, no page no.; advertisement with Norman Adams Ltd., London. Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘Dumfries House – A Chippendale Commission’, sale catalogue, 12–13 July 2007, vol. I, pp. 168–9, lot 48. Other references: Johan Zoffany, The Garden at Hampton House with Mr. and Mrs. Garrick taking tea, 1762, collection of the Garrick Club, London, inventory no. G1120.
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Supper table supplied by Chippendale to Dumfries House, Scotland
Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate XXXIII
The design of the table follows plate XXXIII of the first edition and plate LIII of the third edition of Chippendale’s Director. The dense Cuban mahogany of the top has acquired an outstanding colour and patination. A supper table with identical brass wire mesh enclosing the under tier was supplied by Thomas Chippendale in 1759 to Dumfries House in Scotland: ‘5th May 1759: A mahog. Breakfast table of fine wood wt. a Writing drawer and Wirework round & castors & c. £6 – 8.’ The brass wire mesh enclosing the under tier had to be handmade to order, and it appears to be identical on the two tables, as do also the axe handles, which were preferred by the Chippendale workshop. The concave indentation to the front on both tables is D-shaped, which lends the table a certain elegance. The red wash to the underside, though not unique to the Chippendale workshop, further supports the attribution. Other workshops also produced similar models of tables. A similar table at Dumfries was supplied by Samuel Smith in 1756. It has square legs set at an angle into the frame, an H-stretcher and wooden trelliswork enclosing the under tier. The indentation on this table is curved rather than D-shaped. Further examples of the model can be found in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Longford Castle, Wiltshire, England; and Hagley Hall, Worcestershire, England. The Longford table is of slightly later date and inlaid with floral marquetry to the top in the style of Henry Hill. The table from Hagley Hall is entirely japanned, has a deeper drawer in the frieze and is of slightly different proportion to Chippendale’s design. Supper tables, or breakfast tables as Chippendale also called them, were multi-functional pieces that, because of their relatively small scale and lightness, could be brought out for a specific purpose and taken away again afterwards. The enclosing of the under tier stopped items falling off during transport. A painting titled The Garden at Hampton House with Mr. and Mrs. Garrick taking tea by Johan Zoffany RA, dated 1762, depicts the Garrick family seated by a supper table. Thomas Chippendale supplied most of the furniture for Garrick, and it is possible that the table in the painting is also part of Chippendale’s Garrick commission.
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The underside of the table showing typical Chippendale red wash
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28 A SET OF twelve GEORGE III MAHOGANY DINING CHAIRS TO A DESIGN BY ROBERT ADAM AND ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
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The set comprises ten side chairs and two armchairs. The distinctive lyre-back design was first introduced by Robert Adam for the dining chairs at Osterley Park, Isleworth, England, and first used by Chippendale for the dining chairs at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, England, and the library chairs for Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England. A further undocumented set is at Scampston Hall, Yorkshire. Chippendale never completely repeated a specific design, and each suite of chairs therefore differs slightly. English, circa 1770
A side chair with virtually identical lyre back from the Scampston Hall suite
The armchairs: Height: 37½ in; 95 cm Height of seat: 19 in; 48 cm Width: 24½ in; 62 cm Depth: 23¾ in; 60.5 cm The side chairs: Height: 37½ in; 95 cm Height of seat: 19 in; 48 cm Width: 22¾ in; 58 cm Depth: 22 in; 57 cm Provenance: Corporate collection, New York, USA. Literature: Frederick S. Robinson, English Furniture, 1905, pl. CXXI. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, pp. 92–3. Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham, William & John Linnell, Eighteenth Century London Furniture Makers, 1980, vol. II, p. 36, fig. 68. Partridge Fine Arts, ‘Summer Exhibition 1983’, catalogue, pp. 50–51. Sotheby’s, ‘Important English Furniture, Decoration, Clocks and Carpets’, sale catalogue, New York, 29 October 1983, lot 112. Emily Eerdmans, Classic English Designs and Antiques, Period Styles and Furniture, The Hyde Park Collection, 2006, pp. 174–5. Adam Bowett and James Lomax, Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design, 2018, pp. 106–11.
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29 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY SERVING TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1800 Height: 2 ft 8½ in; 83 cm Width: 9 ft ½ in; 276 cm Depth: 3 ft; 92 cm Provenance: Geoffrey Blackwell, Esq., OBE. Illustrated: R. W. Symonds, ‘Furniture in the Collection of Mr. Geoffrey Blackwell’, Apollo, June 1936, p. 316, fig. IV. Literature: Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 18, fig. 31; p. 19, fig. 33; p. 100, figs. 164–5; p. 122, fig. 215; p. 208, fig. 380. The carved detail on this serving table is of exceptional quality. The crisply carved husk trails to the legs and the central urn carving with draped husk trails are typical of work by the Chippendale firm towards the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. The underside is painted with the typical red wash seen on much of Chippendale’s furniture. Similar examples of husk trails by Chippendale can be found on painted chairs made for the best bedroom at Paxton House, Berwickshire, Scotland, and on the celebrated dressing commode for the State Dressing Room and pedestals at Harewood House, Yorkshire, England. Designs by Thomas Chippendale junior in particular use the device of the lidded urn with husk drapery.
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Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire; 19th century etching after K. Burney
30 A GEORGE III GILTWOOD OVERMANTEL MIRROR by thomas chippendale Note: The mirror retains much of the original gilding and has a replaced 18th century mirror plate. The anthemion cresting was originally fitted directly to the wall and is now attached to the mirror frame. English, circa 1775 Height: 52 in; 132 cm Width: 67 in; 170 cm Provenance: Sir Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne, Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England; Private collection, England. Illustrated: H. Avray Tipping, ‘Brocket Hall II, Hertfordshire’, Country Life, 11 July 1925, p. 60. H Avray Tipping, English Homes, Period VI, vol. I, ‘Late Georgian 1760–1820’, 1926, p. 16, illus. 25. Chippendale Society Newsletter, July 2006. Adam Bowett and James Lomax, Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design, 2018, pp. 104–5. Literature: Messrs. Foster, Pall Mall, London, sale catalogue, 7–12 March 1923, p. 40, lots 414–15.
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THE BROCKET HALL LIBRARY MIRROR
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Foster of Pall Mall auction catalogue of the contents of Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, 7 March 1923, lots 414–15. © The British Library
The library at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England, is to date the only library known to have been designed and furnished in its entirety by Chippendale. It is the result of a harmonious relationship between James Paine and the Chippendale workshop, in contrast with William Chambers’s fractious relationship with Chippendale at Melbourne House, Piccadilly, London. An inventory of Brocket Hall from 1888 lists the mirror in the library: ‘a Chimney Glass in carved and gilt frame’. The mirror was sold in the Brocket Hall sale by the auctioneer Foster of Pall Mall in 1923. Surprisingly the accompanying cresting with its trailing husks, applied separately to the wall, was sold separately as the following lot, but fortunately the central cresting was preserved and reunited with the mirror afterwards. The whereabouts of the husks, however, are not known. The photograph by Country Life of the mirror in situ in the library was taken prior to the sale. The sale catalogue described the mirror as: ‘An Adam mirror, in Carved and Gilt Frame, fluted and beaded borders, with carved satyr masks and foliage at sides, and centre oblong panel with lion mask and bay-leaf festoons, and surmount of foliate scroll-work.’ For more information on Brocket Hall and the commission by Chippendale, see item 4 on page 30.
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The mirror in situ in the library at Brocket Hall, 1923. Country Life Picture Archive
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31 A GEORGE III BURR YEW AND PADOUK SIDE TABLE Almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE A rare and important mid 18th century Chinese Chippendale side table with a burr yew veneered rectangular top above a moulded and blind fretted padouk frieze; on chamfered square legs with blind fret and carved corner angles. English, circa 1760 Height: 35½ in; 90 cm Width: 70¼ in; 178.5 cm Depth: 30¾ in; 78 cm Provenance: Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA; Hotspur Ltd., London, England; Polly Peck International Plc, London, England; Roy Barling collection, London, England, until 1991; Nicholas Gindlay Works of Art Inc., New York, USA; Private collection, New York, USA. Illustrated: Graham Hood, The Williamsburg Collection of Antique Furnishings, 1973, p. 23. Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. XXXVI. Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, pl. LVII. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 189. Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘Dumfries House – A Chippendale Commission’, sale catalogue, 12–13 July 2007, vol. I, lot 71.
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Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate XXXVI 145
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The table in situ at Colonial Williamsburg Museum, Virginia, USA
This extraordinary table follows in close detail the design for a ‘side board table’ in plate XXXVI in the first edition and plate LVII in the third edition of Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinetmaker’s Director. The choice of padouk and burr yew is somewhat exotic compared with mahogany, which was more commonly used in this period. The Chippendale workshop is known to have supplied furniture made from exotic timber, including the celebrated padouk bookcase for Dumfries House in Scotland in 1759 as well as various commodes and tables of slightly later date, when marquetry became popular and a greater variety of woods and colours was needed. This table, however, does not need contrasting materials to enhance its beauty. Conceived in the Chinese Gothic style, it relies on well-proportioned design, harmonious blind frets, fine mouldings and the exquisite carving for which the Chippendale workshop was renowned. A red wash has been applied to the underside of the table. Fixing holes to the underside of the frame suggest that it was intended not for a London house but for transport to somewhere further away. A side table following the same plate in the Director can be found at Dumfries House. This table was made by Alexander Peter, who produced numerous pieces for Dumfries to Chippendale’s designs. A less extravagant side table by Chippendale, made of mahogany and without fret or carving, is now at Harewood House, Yorkshire, England. It was originally supplied to Goldsborough Hall in Yorkshire for Daniel Lascelles between 1771 and 1776.
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The underside of the table showing typical Chippendale red wash
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the newby hall PLATE WARMER PEDESTAL FROM THE ETRUSCAN DINING ROOM SUITE aN IMPORTANT discovery
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A coloured drawing by Robert Adam for the side table and wine cooler from the Etruscan dining room for Newby Hall, Yorkshire, 1783. © Sir John Soane’s Museum, London; Ardon Bar Hama.
32 A GEORGE III POLYCHROME PAINTED PLATE WARMER PEDESTAL Almost certainly designed by robert adam, and ALMOST CERTAINLY made BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE The pedestal retains the original chased brass handles and virtually all the original paint surface, with retouched areas. Both the pedestal and the brass handles had been painted many times over, preserving the original Adam colour scheme underneath. Paint analysis and careful dry stripping of the surface has revealed the original surface. The metal lined interior fitted out with racks is preserved in original condition. English, circa 1785 Height: 40¼ in; 102 cm Width: 25¼ in; 64 cm Depth: 25¼ in; 64 cm Provenance: Commissioned by William Weddell for Newby Hall, Yorkshire, England; Harry Rixson, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England, where acquired on 26 May 1939 as a ‘Very Finely Carved Wood Adam Pedestal’ (£40); Private collection, Bedfordshire.
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Retail photograph from Harry Rixson, 1930s. Hotspur Photo Archive
THE NEWBY HALL COMMISSION (1772–1792) William Weddell was born into a family of humble origins but great aspirations. His father Richard, the son of a York grocer, was born with the name Elcock. When Richard inherited a fortune from his uncle Thomas Weddell, who had invested in South Sea stock and made a huge profit, he took the name Weddell himself. Richard Weddell bought Newby Hall in Yorkshire and property in London. He extended Newby with the help of the architect John Carr but died before the interior was finished, and it was left to William, who inherited Newby while on the Grand Tour in 1762, to complete the work. Unlike many of his contemporaries on the Grand Tour who bought paintings, William returned with an important collection of marbles. These marbles were installed in a specially designed hall at Newby. Tapestries which he had ordered from the Gobelins factory in Paris were also installed, and seat furniture for the room was ordered. Weddell employed Robert Adam to draw up the plans for Newby and its extensions. It is likely that Adam suggested commissioning Thomas Chippendale, who was already working a few miles away at Harewood House, for the furnishings.
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The dining room at Newby was designed in the Etruscan manner, the most up-to-date style of the time. Robert Adam designed the sideboard and wine cooler for the room. The drawings for these, dated 1783, have been preserved in the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. The final design for the plate warmer pedestal has not survived, but drawings for unexecuted variants (called by Adam ‘alternative designs’) have, suggesting that he provided the design for this pedestal as well, and that it was subsequently lost. The plate warmer pedestal is however described in detail in an inventory undertaken by Thomas Chippendale junior in 1792: ‘A Large Pedestal with Carv’d Goats heads & Lyons feet and a figure in front with swags of husks & c. Painted Grey, Black & Buff fitted up as a Plate Warmer.’ The similarities between the wine cooler and the pedestal are too compelling to dismiss. Both items feature a tablet motif with pendants below on each side. The wine cooler was over-painted in the 20th century, but areas where the paint is flaking off clearly show the same Etruscan colour combination as that described in the 1792 inventory. Paint analysis of the wine cooler may provide proof in the future that both it and the pedestal belong to the same suite.
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Wine cooler with identical Bacchus mask handles supplied by Chippendale to Harewood House, Yorkshire
The layout of the dining room allowed no space for a pedestal against a wall. The pedestal was therefore designed to be free standing, probably between central columns in front of the side table, with access from behind to open the doors. No other pedestal like this is known to exist. To date this is only the second known commission for which Chippendale worked to Robert Adam’s designs, but the absence of documentation in the form of bills from Chippendale and the drawing for the pedestal means that we do not yet have absolute proof. The Etruscan dining room at Newby Hall was short lived. Following William Weddell’s death in 1792, the property passed to Thomas Philip Robinson, Lord Grantham. The changes that he made to the house included turning the existing dining room into a library and creating a new dining room instead. The furniture for the new dining room was brought over from Newby Park, Lord Grantham’s ancestral home, and the Etruscan pedestal plate warmer became obsolete. Today, only the wine cooler and two painted side cabinets from the Etruscan suite survive at Newby Hall. All three have been repainted to complement the current décor of the house. The whereabouts of the serving table are not known. The side cabinets from the Etruscan suite are constructed in pine rather than the expensive mahogany used for the pedestal, and they were originally fitted into a niche. This type of work was usually undertaken
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The plate warmer pedestal handle offered up next to the Harewood wine cooler
by joiners, who also made door frames and window frames, etc. The rest of the suite – the table, wine cooler and pedestal – was made by a cabinet-maker; in this instance, by Thomas Chippendale. The pedestal is exceptionally well carved and constructed of mahogany. Its attribution to the Chippendale workshop rests on the ornate brass carrying handles fixed to the sides of the pedestal. These handles are identical to the handles used by Chippendale for the celebrated wine cooler at Harewood, supplied around 1771. The unique design of the handles is based on the mask of Bacchus, the god of wine. The same mask appears, carved in wood, on the side tables as well as the pedestal urns for the dining room at Harewood. Close comparison between the handles of the pedestal and the Harewood wine cooler have revealed that they differ only in the chasing, and are without doubt from the same mould. Chippendale would have carved this handle in wood and had it cast in brass by a foundry. The chasing of each individual casting would have been done by the Chippendale firm, and the original wooden handle would have been retained by them for future use. This handle will be unique to the Chippendale firm. No other examples of its use have come to light.
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The reverse side of the pedestal with the original plate warmer fitments
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Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate LXV
33 A GEORGE II MAHOGANY BOOKCASE ON STAND TO A DESIGN BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The interior is fitted with adjustable glass shelves of later date. The original timber shelves have been retained. English, circa 1755 Height: 8 ft 1 in; 247 cm Width: 5 ft 1¼ in; 155.5 cm Depth: 1 ft 2½ in; 37 cm Provenance: Private collection, Switzerland. Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. LXV. The source for this unusually shallow bookcase is plate LXV in the first edition of Chippendale’s Director. The base deviates from the design in being formed of legs rather than enclosed cupboards as suggested in the drawing. The unusual glazing bars, however, are virtually true to Chippendale’s design.
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34 A GEORGE III chinese BLACK LACQUER AND JAPANNED SIDE CABINET BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The cabinet retains most of the original lacquered brass axe handles with some replacements. English, circa 1770 Height: 37½ in; 95 cm Width: 46 in; 117 cm Depth: 20 in; 51 cm Provenance: Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, Harewood House, Yorkshire, England; Mallett & Son Ltd., London, England, 1954; John Tillotson, until 1984, England; Private collection, USA. Exhibited: The Antique Dealer’s Fair and Exhibition, London, 1954; with Mallett & Son Ltd., London. Illustrated: The Antique Dealer’s Fair and Exhibition handbook, 1954, p. 52; with Mallett & Son Ltd., London. Literature: The Earl of Harewood in Jane Sellars (ed.), The Art of Thomas Chippendale – Master Furniture Maker, 2000, p. 59. Originally made for an alcove, with the japanned border of the top following the shape of the recess, the cabinet has later been adjusted to be freestanding. Chippendale supplied four Chinese lacquer commodes and a secrétaire à abbatant to Edwin Lascelles for Harewood House, Yorkshire, England. Lascelles supplied the Chinese lacquer himself. The bill for the secrétaire à abbatant and the State Bedroom commode veneered in Chinese lacquer survive in the Harewood Archives: June 12th, 1773 A Ladys Secretary vaneer’d with your own Japann with additions of Carved Ornaments & c Japann’d & part Gilt, the front of the Secretary to rise with Balance Weights. £26 - - . November 12th, 1773 A large Commode with folding Doors vaneer’d with your own Japann with additions Japann’d to match with a dressing Drawers & c fine locks. £30 - A Damask Leather Cover to do. £- 15 – .
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THE HAREWOOD HOUSE LACQUER CABINET
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the couch room association Three commodes or cabinets of the four supplied by Chippendale as well as the secrétaire à abbatant have been accounted for. The State Bedroom Commode is now in the Gerstenfeld Collection in Washington, DC, USA. A pair of cabinets retailed by Mallett & Son in the 1950s are now in private collections. The secrétaire à abbatant, only rediscovered some thirty years ago, is now in the collection at Temple Newsam in Leeds, England. The missing lacquer commode or cabinet is listed in the 1795 inventory as being in the Couch Room. The inventory listing is as follows: In the Couch Room 1 Japan Commode. The decorative detail on the japanned parts which frame the oriental true lacquer was applied by the Chippendale workshop and itemised in the bills for the secrétaire and the State Bedroom Commode: ‘with additions japann’d’. The originally bright red colour glazing, which was painted on top of the gilded parts of the decoration in the form of shading, thus creating a three-dimensional effect, is found only on pieces from the Chippendale workshop. The pigment used by Chippendale’s for such shadows was scarlet lake, a bright red hue. Traditionally japanners of the period would have used burnt umber (a reddish-brown) or Van Dyke (a dark brown), or sometimes a combination of the two. Scarlet lake has so far been seen only on pieces directly associated with the Chippendale workshop. The secrétaire à abbatant at Osterley Park, Isleworth, England, for example, and the pair of commodes at Birdsall House in Yorkshire all feature the scarlet lake shading.
Three commodes supplied by Chippendale to Harewood House
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Harewood House, Yorkshire, 1901. Country Life Picture Archive
Floor plan of Harewood House
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Detail of the top edge of the Couch Room cabinet tinted with scarlet lake
The design elements of these japanned areas are repeated on all four commodes and the secrĂŠtaire Ă abbatant supplied to Harewood. These include the water leaf to the lower mouldings of the cabinet, the hatched motif around the drawers and the trailing leaf decoration to the edge of the top. The handles to the drawers on the inside are of the typical Chippendale axe drop pattern, and although it was not used exclusively by the master, this further supports a firm Chippendale attribution. The top features an original abnormality to the hatched border decoration to the sides. Almost three quarters of the hatched japanned border on each side towards the back is stepped in by three-quarters of an inch. The front part of this border is therefore stepped forward, leaving an undecorated black strip towards the back. Close inspection has revealed that this undecorated part has been added at a later stage, filling a cutout. The cutout would have been fitted into a recess for which the commode was marginally too wide. The window recesses at Harewood and in particular the recess in the Couch Room are of the correct dimensions to fit such a commode, thus further supporting the Harewood provenance. With the arrival of central heating at Harewood House, the space occupied by this commode would have been taken over by a radiator. An image taken recently at Harewood illustrated the original window alcove with the radiator now present.
Detail of the State Dressing Room commode by Chippendale from Harewood House
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Detail of the Couch Room lacquer cabinet with the unique Chippendale scarlet lake tinting on top of the gilding.
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Drawing by Thomas Chippendale for a tripod table leg. Courtesy of The Harewood House Trust
35 A GEORGE III PADOUK TRIPOD TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE English, circa 1770 Height: 29¼ in; 74.5 cm Diameter: 40¼ in; 102.5 cm Literature: Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, pp. 254–5, illus. 464–7. The design of the base, the use of padouk and the brass catch to the underside all correspond to the Chippendale oeuvre. Drawings by Chippendale for a related table base and legs are preserved in the Harewood House archives, Yorkshire, England.
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A very closely related chair by Chippendale for Harewood House, Yorkshire
36 A GEORGE III GILTWOOD ARMCHAIR ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Note: The chair retains some of the original gilding. English, circa 1770 Height: 37¼ in; 94.5 cm Width: 25¾ in; 65.5 cm Depth: 25½ in; 65 cm Literature: Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘Highly Important Sevres Porcelain – Chinese Mounted Porcelain and Fine English Furniture’, sale catalogue, 1 July 1965, lot 55, pl. 32. Lanto Synge, Chairs, 1978, illus. 55a. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 108, fig. 182. Christie’s Yearbook 1964–1965, 1966, p. 223. Frank Lumb, An Appreciation from His Many Friends, 1993, pp. 32–3, item 12. Partridge Fine Arts Plc, ‘Recent Acquisitions’, catalogue, 1996, pp. 52–3. The Earl of Harewood in Jane Sellars (ed.), The Art of Thomas Chippendale – Master Furniture Maker, 2000, p. 59. This chair was originally part of a larger set, of which eight further armchairs can be traced. Six chairs were sold in the 1950s by Charles Lumb & Sons Ltd. in pairs to private collections and then brought together again and sold as a set by M. Harris & Son to a private collection in the 1960s. The same six chairs reappeared on the market in the 1990s, when Partridge Fine Arts sold them to a private collection. A single armchair from the set is in a private collection in New York, USA. A further single armchair from the set is in a private collection in Texas, USA.
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Detail of the Harewood House model
The design of the chair is virtually identical to another set of only four chairs supplied by Chippendale to Harewood House, Yorkshire, England, for the Couch Room, where they are listed in the 1795 inventory. These chairs were sold from Harewood House in 1965 at Christie’s and bought by Mallett & Son Ltd., and were subsequently sold in pairs. The differences in design between the two sets are minor but distinct. The crest leaf to the back is facing downwards on the Harewood model, whilst it faces upwards on this model. The arm support terminates in a forward-facing, husk decorated scroll on our chair, whilst the Harewood chairs have a plain moulding in that position. The most noticeable difference is the central pendent leaf carved scroll which is applied to the Harewood chairs. Our chair does not have this decoration, and nor did any of the other eight known chairs from this set. This chair exemplifies the height of sophistication in design and quality achieved by the Chippendale workshop in the 1770s. Further research may one day reveal the house for which this set was intended. The presence of batten holes to the underside of the seat rails indicates that they were made not for a London residence but for somewhere further afield, making packing with battens necessary to secure them for their journey.
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Another chair from the set. Charles Lumb & Sons Ltd.
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Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, plate XLV
37 A GEORGE III MAHOGANY COMMODE almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE The commode retains all the original ornate brass swan-neck handles. Metal analysis has revealed that the brass composition of the carrying handles and the drawer handles corresponds. English, circa 1765 Height: 34 in; 86.5 cm Width: 52½ in; 133.5 cm Depth: 27 in; 68.5 cm Provenance: Mallett & Son Ltd., London, England; Stair & Company Ltd., London, England; Private collection, New York, USA. Exhibited: The Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair, London, 1996; with Stair & Company Ltd., London. Illustrated: Connoisseur, 7 March 1953, no page number; trade advertisement with Mallett & Son Ltd., London. The Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair handbook, 1996, p. 120; with Stair & Company Ltd., London. Literature: Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 1754, pl. XLV. Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, 1762, pl. LXVI. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 146, illus. 263. Adam Bowett and James Lomax, Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design, 2018, pp. 46–7.
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An almost identical commode (one of a pair) supplied by Chippendale to Edwin Lascelles for Harewood House, Yorkshire
An almost identical commode supplied by Chippendale to John Martin for Ham Court, Worcestershire
The design for the commode derives from plate XLV in the first edition and plate LXVI in the third edition of Chippendale’s Director, although it does not follow them in every detail. Inspired by French design, these tables were called ‘French Commode Tables’ in the publication. Due to the popularity of this type of commode, they were also made in similar style by other workshops contemporary with Chippendale. Comparable documented commodes by Chippendale and recognisable design parallels within the Chippendale oeuvre confirm authorship by the St. Martin’s Lane workshop. The bold rococo outline with confidently carved legs, with fine scroll feet repeated in a simplified form on the back legs, and the pleasing serpentine shape of the top echoed in the shape of the lower drawer are all hallmarks of Chippendale. The relatively small and restrained handles to the drawers fulfil a functional more than a decorative role, placing the aesthetic emphasis on the beauty of the wood. Commodes of similar form by other workshops are usually applied with much larger and more decorative handles. The back legs on these commodes tend to appear stiff and flat in comparison with the outward shaped back legs on Chippendale pieces. Similar commodes by Chippendale were supplied to the Lascelles family of Harewood House and Goldsborough Hall, both in Yorkshire, England, and to John Martin of Ham Court, Worcestershire, England.
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38 A GEORGE III GILT-BRASS-MOUNTED INLAID FUSTIC SECRETAIRE CABINET ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Originally one of a pair, the cabinet retains all the original brass mounts. A cornice, originally fitted, has been removed a long time ago. English, circa 1775 Height: 7 ft 5¼ in; 227 cm Width: 4 ft 1 in; 124.5 cm Depth: 1 ft 11 in; 58.5 cm Provenance: James Christie, The Manor House, Framingham Pigot, Norwich, England, a direct descendant of the founder of Christie’s auction house, until 1959; Patrick C. Hall, Longford Hall, Shropshire, England, until 1966; Hyde Park Antiques Inc., New York, USA; Private collection, USA; Hyde Park Antiques Inc., New York, USA.
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Literature: Arthur Bolton, The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, 1922, vol. II, pp. 94–101. Christie, Manson & Woods, ‘Important English Furniture’, sale catalogue, 12 March 1959, pp. 17–20, lot 85. Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 125, fig. 221.a Judith Goodison, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale Junior, 2017, pp. 264–72. Although the research has not been conclusive, this cabinet is known to have an extremely interesting history, and it seems almost certain that it is the work of Chippendale. It was owned at one stage by James Christie, a direct descendant of the founder of Christie’s auction house, before being sold in 1959 to another collector who found and acquired the matching cabinet, and then sold them together as a pair. After being briefly reunited, the pair were separated again, and the companion is now in a private collection in the USA. The crucial link with Chippendale lies in the cabinet’s distinctive brass mounts, which are unique to him, and are in all key respects virtually identical to those on a documented commode supplied to Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, England, in 1770. The construction of the cabinet also relates to the construction of the well-documented cabinets from Panshanger, Hertfordshire, England, originally commissioned from Chippendale by Lord Melbourne for his London residence, Melbourne House. Chippendale used solid black rosewood as the main material for their door frames, a very unusual and extravagant use of this exotic wood. Our cabinet similarly features doors made of black rosewood, which were then veneered with fustic. Interestingly the back boards of this cabinet are also made of the same rosewood, suggesting that it was intended not as a bookcase but to display items, with a beautiful timber background to enhance their appearance. It is not certain which commission the pair of cabinets belong to, but research suggests that they were made around 1775 by the Chippendale firm for No 5 Mansfield Street, the London home of William Constable, and were subsequently transferred to Burton Constable, his house in
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THE BRASS MOUNTS A marquetry commode veneered in fustic with virtually identical brass mounts was supplied by Chippendale to Nostell Priory for Lady Winn’s bedchamber on 22 December 1770.
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Yorkshire. On Constable’s death in 1791, it is possible that this cabinet was sold to Burwood Park, Surrey, England, where documentation records an alteration to a strikingly similar item, although it may have stayed at Burton Constable for some time longer.
A further commode, also veneered in fustic and virtually identical to the Nostell commode, is now in a private collection in New York. This commode differs from the Nostell model only in not having complete corner mounts to the back legs, using sabot mounts instead. It is likely that this second commode was also part of the Nostell commission, but this cannot be established with certainty. With time, fustic acquires a rather less attractive grey-brown colour. Thomas Sheraton wrote in 1790 that fustic ‘was found to turn by air and the heat of the sun to a dead brownish hue’. The wood had been favoured by the Chippendale firm from the 1760s, but it was subsequently phased out for aesthetic reasons, and satinwood was then preferred. Satinwood retains its colour and appearance and withstands the test of time. Another commode, supplied to Sir Richard Hoare and veneered in rosewood and pollard oak, was also fitted with near identical mounts, and a second commode from the same collection was fitted with identical sabot mounts. The mounts for Lady Winn’s commode would have been designed specifically for it by the Chippendale firm. The mounts would have been carved in wood first and then given to the foundry to be cast in brass. The castings would then have been worked on and refined, chased and lacquered by the Chippendale workshop. The wooden originals would have been retained by the Chippendale firm for future use. A Chippendale bill in the papers at Harewood House in Yorkshire, for example, states that moulds for a brass lantern were carved, and then castings from this mould were chased and lacquered by the firm. The mounts on this cabinet have an additional section of husk trails inserted to make up the extra length needed: the commode mounts are shorter. The sabot pieces, ending in curling acanthus leaf, merge beautifully with the leaf corner mounts on the commode. On the cabinet this transition from sabot to husks where the additional section was inserted is slightly clumsy and less harmonious. This suggests that the mounts were created for the commode first and then used again later on the cabinet, but with extensions. This group of commodes and cabinets with virtually identical brass corner mounts fits stylistically into a period of transition from rococo design with its organic, asymmetric shapes towards the neoclassical style with a more linear symmetry of shapes. Circles, ovals and rectangles are typical new devices for this period, and all of these can be seen on the cabinet.
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A fustic marquetry commode supplied by Chippendale for Lady Winn’s bedchamber, Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, with virtually identical ormolu mounts
A fustic marquetry commode, almost certainly by Chippendale, with virtually identical ormolu mounts. Private collection, New York
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Chippendale account for 1790–1792 to Sir John Frederick, 5th Baronet, of Burwood Park, Surrey. © Surrey History Centre
The light coloured fustic veneers on the secrétaire cabinet provide a perfect contrast to the richly coloured dark kingwood and black rosewood. The latter is used in the solid on the doorframes and back panels of the upper section. The internal sides and base of the upper section of the cabinet were originally painted to simulate rosewood. A very unusual and perhaps even unique feature of this cabinet is the brass framed oval centre of the door, which is hinged to allow access to the centre of the cabinet while the door itself remains closed. This extra feature was without doubt specially requested. One possible explanation for it may be that the cabinet originally had a clock on display in the centre, which needed to be wound. The astragal glazing bars are aligned in a symmetrical pattern of circles and ovals within an oblong with square corners. This feature is found in the Chippendale workshop’s later output. The top of the cabinet once featured a cornice, which has been removed at some stage in the past. The tenon holes to secure the former cornice have been neatly filled in. Pairs of brass mounted and inlaid secrétaire cabinets with glazed tops by the Chippendale firm are rare. The Chippendale invoices published by Christopher Gilbert have revealed two commissions that are possible original provenances, one for a pair, and one for a single cabinet: neither is conclusive, but both are of considerable interest. BURTON CONSTABLE / MANSFIELD STREET A pair of fustic bookcase cabinets is mentioned in the Chippendale accounts of 1774 for Burton Constable in Yorkshire: ‘To 2 very neat Bookcases made of fustic cross Banded with Allegozant with neat shaped doors Glazd with the Best Crown Glass and Slideing Shelves, the Bottom parts made deeper with Slideing Shelves and folding doors Cross Banded & Inlaid. £44 - - .’ There is no mention of brass mounts in the bill, which is unusual as
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Chippendale would usually have mentioned these extra costs. Lady Winn’s commode with brass mounts at Nostell was invoiced at £40 on 22 December 1770. The inlay on the commode would have taken a considerable time to produce, and the brass mounts would have been made specifically for it. Casting metal mounts often produced faulty casts with poor definition or even holes in the casting. It is very likely that the mounts for the Winn commode were cast several times before Chippendale was happy with the results. William Constable acquired the lease of No. 5 Mansfield Street in London in 1774. He employed Robert Adam to design the interior of the house. Drawings for Mansfield Street are preserved in the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. The ceiling designs for the drawing rooms incorporate circles of husks which are joined at the quarter with small circular loops, and long oblong fields centred by circles. Both these unusual features are repeated in the design of the cabinets. It was common practice for Chippendale to incorporate a room’s architectural details in his designs for its furniture. Constable gave up his house in Mansfield Street in 1784 due to ill health. Some of the furniture was moved to Burton Constable in Yorkshire, and the other furnishings were sold at auction. He died seven years later, in 1791. The inventory of Burton Constable drawn up in that year is so rudimentary that identifying specific pieces of furniture is nearly impossible: Gallery and Closet –one other cabinet –one large cabinet The Dressing Room, North Wing –two cabinets. A century later, the 1894 inventory describes the pieces in each room in slightly more detail:
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Burwood Park, Surrey, in the 19th century RONALD PHILLIPS LTD
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Lady Constable’s Bed Room 2 Very handsome satin wood Cabinets with circular door and shaped ends with very fine rich Marquetrie of curious colours. The next inventory of Burton Constable, taken in 1910, does not list the cabinet. Presumably when each successive generation took over the vast property, some furniture would have been changed, with the items no longer required being sold or simply removed from the house. Today the only links with Burton Constable are Chippendale’s bill (although, as noted, this does not mention the metal mounts), the similarity to Adam’s ceiling designs at Mansfield Street, and the mention in the 1894 inventory, which leave the research inconclusive. BURWOOD PARK A satinwood secrétaire bookcase that features brass mounts is mentioned in Chippendale’s accounts for Burwood Park, Surrey, England: fustic can be mistaken for satinwood when it has not yet oxidised with age. This bill also mentions an alteration of a cabinet by taking away the cornice. On 12 June 1792 the Chippendale firm billed Sir John Frederick, Bart. of Burwood Park for: ‘Repairing thoroughly new working & polishing a Sattinwood Lady’s Secretary and Bookcase altering by taking away the Pediment lacquering the Brass Work and new Lining the Writing Part with fine Green Cloth. £2 d12’. The fact that an alteration is mentioned, as well as brass mounts, is compelling. The Burwood Chippendale accounts that have survived unfortunately cover only the years 1790–1796. The cabinet would have been supplied around 1770–1775. The accounts do however show an entry for furnishing Sir John’s London house on Hanover Square: April 2nd, 1773 By Charles Ewans’s Account for Repairing & fitting up my House in Hanover Square, with all & Every of the Tradesmens bills employed for work done in and about the said House in full paid & settled this day by Lough Carleton £1977, 10, 7½. The entry clearly states that Ewans was employed as the agent to oversee the furnishing of the house. Charles Ewans shared workshop premises with W. Mills on St. Martin’s Lane, London, opposite Old Slaughter’s Coffee House. It is likely that Ewans engaged nearby workshops including
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Chippendale’s to supply furniture for the house. The date of 1773 or slightly earlier corresponds well with the supply date for Lady Winn’s commode, which had to precede the supply of the cabinets, as the brass mounts were made especially for the commode and then extended for the cabinets. It is also possible that the brass mounted fustic cabinet was bought secondhand, perhaps from Burton Constable. Chippendale was known for buying back furniture that he had made, and selling it on. THE FREDERICK FAMILY OF BURWOOD PARK Sir John Frederick, 4th Baronet, (1708–1783) inherited the estate of Burwood Park in 1770 from his cousin who had bought it in 1739. John Frederick was Lord Mayor of London and a wealthy City merchant. His connections with the East India Company added to his considerable fortune. He owned large areas of London including the Manor of Paddington: the annual rental income from Paddington alone amounted to a five-figure sum. As well as Burwood, the family had a house in Bath, Somerset, and another in Hanover Square in London. Sir John’s personal letters to his relation Henry Vansittart, the director of the East India Company, are preserved in the collection of the Surrey History Centre in Woking. His son, also called John Frederick (1749–1825), inherited the title and all the estates on his father’s death in 1783. He divided his time between Burwood and Savile Row in London, where he served as a member of Parliament. It is very possible that Sir John junior was a patron of Thomas Chippendale prior to 1790, and perhaps his father was also. However, no records of commissions have come to light. The surviving records relating to Chippendale & Haig dating from 1790 to 1796 mention repairs without charge by the firm, suggesting that the pieces were originally supplied by Chippendale. The repair of the ‘Sattinwood Lady’s Secretary’ cabinet was however charged for. The last member of the Frederick family to live at Burwood was Sir Richard, the 6th Baronet. Following his death in 1873, Burwood was sold to developers. Today the estate has been developed into private residential properties, and the house is now a school.
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Mansfield Street, London, 1917. Country Life Picture Archive RONALD PHILLIPS LTD
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Robert Adam staircase wall detail for Mansfield Street, London. Country Life Picture Archive
Robert Adam ceiling detail for Mansfield Street, London. Country Life Picture Archive
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from t he ro n ald ph i ll i ps lt d. arch i v e
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A1
A2
A GEORGE III GREEN JAPANNED COMMODE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III GILTWOOD MIRROR ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1770
English, circa 1765
Height: 38 in; 97 cm Width: 46 in; 117 cm Depth: 24½ in; 63 cm
Height: 60½ in; 154 cm Width: 40¾ in; 103.5 cm
Provenance: Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
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Provenance: Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
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A3
A4
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY BREAKFRONT BOOKCASE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III GILTWOOD LANTERN ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1760
English, circa 1765
Height: 8 ft 2 in; 249 cm Width: 5 ft 1 in; 155 cm Depth: 1 ft 6½ in; 47 cm
Height: 35 in; 89 cm Diameter: 20½ in; 52 cm
Provenance: Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
Provenance: David McAlpine, Fawley House, Oxfordshire, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
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A5
A6
A PAIR OF GEORGE III CREAM PAINTED ARMCHAIRS DESIGNED BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III ORMOLU MOUNTED FUSTIC MARQUETRY COMMODE ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1770 Height: 40¼ in; 102 cm Height of seat: 17¾ in; 45 cm Width: 26½ in; 67.5 cm Depth: 25¼ in; 64.5 cm Provenance: Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, Ireland.
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English, circa 1775 Height: 33¾ in; 85.5 cm Width: 57½ in; 146 cm Depth: 24¾ in; 63 cm Provenance: Partridge Fine Arts Plc., London, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
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A7
A8
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY GATE-LEG CARD TABLE Almost certainly by THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
two PAIRs OF GEORGE III MAHOGANY ARMCHAIRS ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1775
English, circa 1775
Height: 28½ in; 72.5 cm Width: 36¾ in; 93.5 cm Depth: 18¼ in; 46.5 cm
Height: 36½ in; 92.5 cm Width: 26¼ in; 66.5 cm Depth: 26¼ in; 66.5 cm
Provenance: John Peach Hungerford, Dingley Hall, Northamptonshire, England; Hugh Richard Dawnay, 8th Viscount Downe, Dingley Hall; Wykeham Abbey, Yorkshire, England; The Richard A. Canfield and Marsden J. Perry Collection, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Judge Irwin Untermyer, New York, USA; Bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
Provenance: John Peach Hungerford, Dingley Hall, Northamptonshire, England; Hugh Richard Dawnay, 8th Viscount Downe, Dingley Hall; Wykeham Abbey, Yorkshire, England; Hotspur Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; One pair: private collection, England. One pair: private collection, USA.
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A9
A10
A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD GIRANDOLES ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III ORMOLU MOUNTED SATINWOOD CORNER CUPBOARD ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1765 Height: 43 in; 109 cm Width: 19 in; 48.5 cm Depth: 8½ in; 22 cm Provenance: Private collection, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
186
English, circa 1765 Height: 35½ in; 90 cm Width: 30 in; 76 cm Depth: 21¼ in; 54 cm Provenance: Probably supplied by Chippendale to Sir Richard Hoare, Barn Elms, Surrey, England; Private collection, England; Private collection, New York, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
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A11
A12
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY SIDE CHAIR ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A PAIR OF GEORGE III BRASS MOUNTED DINING ROOM URNS ON PEDESTALS BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1770 Height: 36½ in; 93 cm Height of seat: 17¾ in; 45 cm Width: 22¾ in; 58 cm Depth: 22½ in; 57 cm Provenance: Scampston Hall, Yorkshire, England; Clinton Howell Inc., New York, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
English, circa 1780 Height: 67½ in; 171.5 cm Width: 17¾ in; 45.5 cm Depth: 17¼ in; 44 cm Provenance: Rockbeare Manor, East Devon, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
Exhibited: Tercentenary exhibition, ‘Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design’, Leeds, 2018.
187
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VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
A13
A14
A GEORGE III SEMI-ELLIPTIC GILTWOOD SIDE TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY DESK ARMCHAIR ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1775
English, circa 1770
Height: 32¼ in; 82 cm Width: 49¾ in; 126.5 cm Depth: 16½ in; 42 cm
Height: 39 in; 99 cm Height of seat: 18½ in; 47 cm Width: 25 in; 63.5 cm Depth: 28 in; 71 cm
Provenance: Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
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Provenance: Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
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DIRECTOR: SIMON PHILLIPS REGISTERED IN ENGLAND NO. 511581
A15
A16
A GEORGE III GILTWOOD MIRROR DESIGNED BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY PARTNERS’ DESK ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1765
English, circa 1765
Height: 6 ft 10 in; 208.5 cm Width: 3 ft 8¼ in; 112.5 cm
Height: 31½ in; 80 cm Width: 67¾ in; 172 cm Depth: 38½ in; 98 cm
Provenance: The collection of Cynthia Phipps, Old Westbury, New York, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
Provenance: Private collection, Yorkshire, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
189
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A17
A18
A PAIR OF GEorge III PARCEL GILT OPEN ARMCHAIRS ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE II PADOUK BOOKCASE WITH CHINESE MIRROR PAINTINGS ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1765 Height: 36 in; 91.5 cm Width: 27 in; 68.5 cm Depth: 27 in; 68.5 cm Provenance: Mrs. G. L. Lee, Hill House, Pannal, Yorkshire, England; Charles Lumb & Sons, Harrogate, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
190
English, circa 1760 Height: 8 ft 4½ in; 255 cm Width: 4 ft 9 in; 145 cm Depth: 1 ft 8 in; 51 cm Provenance: Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
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A19
A20
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY BREAKFRONT BOOKCASE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD LIBRARY ARMCHAIRS ALMOST CERTAINLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1770
English, circa 1765
Height: 10 ft 6¾ in; 322 cm Width: 8 ft 2 in; 249 cm Depth: 2 ft; 61 cm
Height: 39½ in; 100 cm Height of seat: 19½ in; 49.5 cm Width: 31¼ in; 79.5 cm Depth: 31 in; 79 cm
Provenance: Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
Provenance: Sir Lawrence Dundas, Moor Park, Hertfordshire, England; Sir Everard Radcliffe, Bart., Rudding Park, Yorkshire, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
191
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A21
A22
A GEORGE III CARVED MAHOGANY CARD TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III WHITE AND GREEN PAINTED ARMCHAIR ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1770
English, circa 1770
Height: 29 in; 74 cm Width: 39¼ in; 100 cm Depth (closed): 19½ in; 49.5 cm Depth (open): 39 in; 99 cm
Height: 37¼ in; 94.5 cm Width: 25¾ in; 65.5 cm Depth: 24¼ in; 62 cm
Provenance: Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
192
Provenance: Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, Ireland.
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A23
A24
A set of three GEORGE III BURR YEW AND PADOUK TORCHERES ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY WRITING TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1765 Height: 46 in; 117 cm Diameter of top: 13¼ in; 33.5 cm Diameter of base: 16 in; 41 cm Provenance: Owen Evan-Thomas, London, England; Private collection, USA; Hotspur Ltd., London, England; Private collection, London, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, Australia.
VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
English, circa 1770 Height: 30¼ in; 76.5 cm Width: 41¼ in; 104.5 cm Depth: 24 in; 61 cm Provenance: Private collection, London, England; Hotspur Ltd., London, England; Private collection, Zurich, Switzerland; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
Exhibited: ‘Art Treasures Exhibition’, London, 1932.
193
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A25
A26
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY DRESSING CHEST ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A PAIR OF GEORGE III CARVED MAHOGANY ARMCHAIRS ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1770
English, circa 1770
Height: 30 in; 76 cm Height of kneehole: 24 in; 61 cm Width: 26 in; 66 cm Depth: 21 in; 53.5 cm
Height: 38½ in; 98 cm Width: 29½ in; 75 cm Depth: 31 in; 79 cm
Provenance: J. and W. Tweed, Bradford, England; Charles Lumb & Sons, Harrogate, England; Private collection, Yorkshire, England; Private collection, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA. Exhibited: Northern Antique Dealers’ Fair, Harrogate, 1953; with J. and W. Tweed.
194
Provenance: Eccleshall Castle, Shropshire, England; M. Harris & Sons, London, England; Showering collection, England; Corporate collection, USA; Private collection, London, England; Private collection, London, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA. Exhibited: CINOA, ‘International Art Treasures Exhibition’, London, 1962, no. 108.
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A27
A28
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY BREAKFRONT LIBRARY BOOKCASE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILTWOOD ARMCHAIRS BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
English, circa 1770
English, 1765
Height: 9 ft 5½ in; 288 cm Width: 8 ft 10 in; 269 cm Depth: 2 ft 2½ in; 67.5 cm
Height: 42 in; 106 cm Width: 30½ in; 77 cm Depth: 30½ in; 77 cm
Provenance: By repute, Dr. Harrison of York, England; M. Harris and Sons, London, England; Colonel Albert E. Peirce, Virginia, USA; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, England.
Provenance: Sir Lawrence Dundas, for 19 Arlington Street, London, England; Moss Harris & Sons, London, England; Private collection, England; Ronald Phillips Ltd., London, England; Private collection, USA.
195
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bi bl i ography
Adam, Robert, Works in Architecture, vol. I, 1773–8, vol. II, 1779. Avray Tipping, H., English Homes, Period VI, vol. I, ‘Late Georgian, 1760–1820’, London, 1926. RONALD PHILLIPS LTD
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Beard, Geoffrey, The Work of Robert Adam, London, 1978.
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Bolton, Arthur, The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, London, 1922. Bowett, Adam, and James Lomax, Thomas Chippendale 1718–1779: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship and Design, Leeds, 2018. Brown, Peter, The Noel Terry Collection of Furniture and Clocks, York, 1987. Cescinsky, Herbert, English Furniture of the Eighteenth Century, London, vol. I, 1909; vol. II, 1910; vol. III, 1911. Chippendale, Thomas, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, London, 1754. Chippendale, Thomas, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director, 3rd edition, London, 1762. Claxton Stevens, Christopher, and Stewart Whittington, 18th Century English Furniture: The
Norman Adams Collection, London, 1983.
Coleridge, Anthony, Chippendale Furniture, London, 1968. Edwards, Ralph, A History of the English Chair, London, 1950. Eerdmans, Emily, Classic English Designs and Antiques, Period Styles and Furniture, The Hyde Park Antiques Collection, New York, 2006. Fitzgerald, Desmond, Georgian Furniture, London, 1969. Gilbert, Christopher, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, 3 vols, Leeds,
1978 & 1998.
Gilbert, Christopher, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 2 vols, London, 1978. Goodison, Judith, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale Junior, London, 2017. Goodison, Nicholas, and Robin Kern, Hotspur – Eighty Years of Antiques Dealing, London, 2004. Hackenbroch, Yvonne, English Furniture with Some Furniture of Other Countries in the Irwin
196
Untermyer Collection, London, 1958.
RONALD PHILLIPS FINE ANTIQUE ENGLISH FURNITURE
M. Harris & Sons, ‘A Catalogue and Index of Old Furniture and Works of Decorative Art’, Part I 1560–1740, Part II 1730–1780, Part III 1770–1840, London, circa 1930s. Harris, Eileen, The Furniture of Robert Adam, London, 1973.
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Harris, Eileen, The Genius of Robert Adam: His Interiors, London, 2001. Hayward, Helena, and Pat Kirkham, William and John Linnell, Eighteenth Century London
Furniture Makers, 2 vols, London, 1980.
Hood, Graham, The Williamsburg Collection of Antique Furnishings, Williamsburg, 1973. Jackson-Stops, Gervase, Nostell Priory, revised edition, London, 1994. Kenworthy-Browne, John, Chippendale and his Contemporaries, London, 1971. Macquoid, Percy, and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 3 vols, new edition revised by Ralph Edwards, London, 1954. Musgrave, Clifford, Adam and Hepplewhite and Other Neo-Classical Furniture, London, 1966. Musson, Jeremy, English Country House Interiors, London, 2011. Pearce, David, London’s Mansions, London, 1986. Robinson, Frederick S., English Furniture, London, 1905. Sellars, Jane, ed., The Art of Thomas Chippendale, Master Furniture Maker, Leeds, 2000. Synge, Lanto, Chairs, London, 1978. Wills, Geoffrey, English Furniture 1760–1900, London, 1979. Wood, Lucy, Catalogue of Commodes, Liverpool, 1994.
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i n de x
BOOKCASES/CABINETS A George II mahogany bookcase on stand to a design by Chippendale A George II mahogany china cabinet to a design by Chippendale
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The Harewood House lacquer cabinet, by Chippendale REGISTERED IN ENGLAND NO. 511581
VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
158
CHESTS/COMMODES A George III mahogany commode almost certainly by Chippendale
170
The Aske Hall chest of drawers, almost certainly by Chippendale
94
The Harewood House satinwood commode, almost certainly by Chippendale
16
A pair of George III satinwood demi-lune commodes almost certainly by Chippendale
72
LIGHTING A pair of George III giltwood three light candelabra attr. to Chippendale
117
MIRRORS A George III giltwood oval mirror to a design by Chippendale and attr. to W. Mathie
62
The Brocket Hall library mirror, by Chippendale
140
The Harewood House mirror, by Chippendale
20
The Nostell Priory overmantel mirror, attr. to Chippendale
76
OBJECTS The Home House pedestal urns, by Chippendale The Newby Hall plate warmer pedestal, almost certainly by Chippendale
46 148
SEATING Chairs (single) The Garrick chair from No. 5 Royal Adelphi Terrace, by Chippendale
64
A George III giltwood armchair almost certainly by Chippendale
166
A George III mahogany armchair almost certainly by Chippendale
112
The Gilston Park Manor chair, to a design by Chippendale
36
Chairs (pairs) The Appuldurcombe armchairs, by Chippendale
120
The Brocket Hall saloon chairs, by Chippendale
98
A pair of George III mahogany library armchairs almost certainly by Chippendale
84
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Chairs (sets) A set of twelve George III mahogany dining chairs attr. to Chippendale
130
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+44 (0)20 7493 2341
RONALDPHILLIPSANTIQUES.COM
DIRECTOR: SIMON PHILLIPS
Settees
REGISTERED IN ENGLAND NO. 511581
VAT REGISTRATION NO. 239 0193 66
The Brocket Hall settees, by Chippendale
28
TABLES Desks/reading/writing A George II mahogany writing table almost certainly by Thomas Chippendale
56
A George III brass-mounted fustic secrétaire cabinet almost certainly by Chippendale
174
A George III mahogany library desk by Chippendale
104
The Earsham Hall secrétaire à abbatant, almost certainly by Chippendale
88
Occasional tables/stands A George II mahogany supper table almost certainly by Chippendale
126
A pair of George III giltwood torchères almost certainly by Chippendale
116
Side A George III burr yew and padouk side table almost certainly by Chippendale The Rockbeare Manor serving table, by Chippendale A George III mahogany serving table attr. to Chippendale A pair of George II giltwood side tables to a design by Chippendale
144 40 136 52
A pair of George III satinwood and marquetry demi-lune side tables
almost certainly by Chippendale
78
Tripod A George III decagonal mahogany tripod table attr. to Chippendale
114
A George III mahogany and gonçalo alves banded tripod table attr. to Chippendale
82
A George III mahogany and satinwood hexagonal tripod table attr. to Chippendale
34
A George III padouk tripod table attr. to Chippendale
164
199
RO N A L D PHILLIPS FINE ANTIQUE ENGLISH FURNITURE
RONALD PHILLIPS LTD. 26 BRUTON STREET, LONDON RONALD PHILLIPS LTD.W1J 6QL 26 BRUTON STREET, Tel: +44 (0)20 LONDON 7493 2341 W1J 6QL www.ronaldphillipsantiques.com Tel: + 44 (0)20 7493 2341 advice@ronaldphillips.co.uk www.ronaldphillipsantiques.com advice@ronaldphillips.co.uk