Issuu

a Gurr Johns Group company

MA LLETT LO N D ON (+44) 020 3405 2020 MA LLETT NEW YORK (+1) 212 486 0678 info@mallettantiques.com www.mallettantiques.com

front cover: George I Gilt-Gesso Side Table (p.22) inside cover: Régence french carved giltwood centre table with Florentine Pietra Dure top (p.102) previous spread: A Marquetry Cabinet by Jackson and Graham (p.70) this page: Marquetry Inlaid Walnut Side Chairs, Gerreit Jensen (p.21)

Mallett

Good To be Back

Mallett has been part of my life since I first started advising clients on decorative arts nearly 50 years ago. It was the leading dealer in London, and later in New York, among a group of other exceptional furniture dealers, many of whom have now closed. The loss of these centers of expertise and taste was a real blow to the culture and connoisseurship of the decorative arts in London and New York. Mallett was a center of wonderful objects and furniture, all carefully chosen and presented beautifully. Items sold by them have been the foundation of many of the finest collections formed within the last 75 years. Virtually every great piece of furniture sold in the art market has passed through its hands, as is testified by the appearance of Mallett’s name in their provenance. I am delighted to be part of its revival. We are fortunate in having Henry Neville, who ran Mallett in the US for many years, help us in bringing our business back to life and assemble in this catalogue, a group of exceptional items that are rarely found on the market today.

It is over 30 years since Mallett produced its first general catalogue illustrating the wide range of excellence that has always been a hallmark of our business. Today, we are very proud to present this, the first new catalogue for nearly ten years, filled with exciting and historically important pieces, many with provenances from royal courts across Europe. It contains the same eclectic collection of great works of art, both English and European, along with decorative objects, paintings and glass, as has always been the Mallett tradition. Many of the pieces have been sourced from private collections and purchased from around the world. We have been honoured to work with one of Mallett’s most prestigious clients from America, as well as a renowned European collector. Nearly all of the artworks illustrated within these pages are presented for the first time in more than two decades, providing a rare opportunity to acquire unusual and beautiful pieces, little known to the public market. We hope that you enjoy looking through this collection and that you may be tempted by some of the pieces illustrated. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us here in London or New York and we look forward to reconnecting with with many of Mallett’s old friends, as well as hopefully meeting and talking with a new generation of collectors.

Harry Smith

Henry Neville

a sc a gli ola pa n e l Laurent Bonuccelli The rectangular scagliola top depicting an oval cartouche containing a landscape, with floral sprays at each corner, in a leaf-border; with a black-painted and parcel-gilt stand, the legs formed of four figures supporting the frame. Italy, c.1680.

Top width: 53 ½ in (136 cm); depth: 34 in (86 cm); height : 33 ¾ in (86 cm)

This exceptional table top is made in a decorative stone technique known as scagliola, literally ‘small chips’, essentially a powdered and coloured crystalline gypsum or certain types of stone mixed with a paste. The resulting panels are often of staggering intricacy and showing a truly remarkable artistry. The present panel is almost certainly by the important scagliolisto Laurent Bonuccelli, who was active in Turin from 1685 to 1707 where he worked at the Palazzo Reale. Several

scagliola tops by him are signed and dated around 1679, including a pair of slabs which were probably acquired in Italy by the 8th earl of Abercorn (1712– 1789), and are signed ‘Laurentius Bonuccelli’ and dated 1681. proven a n c e Anonymous sale, Christie’s Monaco, 17 June 2000, lot 240.

a p air of b e r g e r e s Philippe-Joseph Pluvinet A very fine pair of Louis XVI giltwood cove back bergeres, covered in antique needlework. Each having an elaborate carved foliate cresting and central cartouche to the seat rail. The scrolling and fluted arms are supported by a reeded seat rail, over elegant tapering, reeded and fluted legs surmounted at the front with square foliate paterae. The needlework upholstery is exceptional, and each element is stitched with an elaborate foliate spray within an ivory white cartouche framed in duck egg blue with further foliate enrichment. It is exceptional that the outer sides are similarly upholstered. Each chair stamped on back rail, ‘P Pluvinet.’ France, c.1780.

Philippe-Joseph Pluvinet (maître in 1754. d.1793) was established in the Rue de Cléry and produced extremely elegant and refined chairs in both the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. His earlier seat furniture designs were typically generous in width and depth with crest, seat rails, arm rests and supports all in elegantly sculpted and moulded forms embellished with scrolls, leaves, flowers and cartouches similar

to the trademark cartouches employed by J-B Tilliard I and II; supported on cabriole legs echoing these design motifs. Pluvinet’s later furniture shows him embracing the fashion for neoclassical design. His chairs display the more constrained economical forms and simpler straighter lines of the Louis XVI style with more formalised and streamlined design motifs such as paterae, entrelacs and turned tapered and reeded legs.

size of each Back height: 38 in (98 cm); seat height: 21 in (53 cm); width: 26 in (67 cm); depth: 20 in (51 cm)

t h e l an g ley par k tables An important pair of George II mahogany side tables, richly carved with classical detail; the rails with egg and dart moulding above Vitruvian Greek-key are centered by an elaborate shell with scrolling rope detail beneath. The four cabriole legs with foliate and floral scrolled motifs beneath uprising shell end in hairy-clawed, lion’s paw feet. Supporting old verde antico marble tops. Attributed to William Hallett Senior, or Vile and Cobb. England, c.1750. size of each Height: 35 in (89 cm); width: 60 in (152.5 cm); depth: 30 in (76 cm)

This richly carved pair of mahogany tables are superb examples of the mid-eighteenth century fashion for Palladian-style classical furnishings, designed to harmonise perfectly with the architecture and accompanying furniture of the house for which they were supplied. These tables come from Langley Park, Norfolk and the room in which they once stood – quite possibly the original location for the tables – was furnished with carved and gilded oval mirrors, hung above this pair of tables. White painted and partly-gilded frames which enclosed full length portraits hung on the walls, all of which stood below the rich stucco-work of the ceilings.¹ In the Dining Room nearby, another carved mahogany marble-topped table stood at the far end, beyond a pair of Corinthian columns. These three tables would have been used originally as sideboard ‘buffet’ tables, designed for the display of silver or silvergilt banqueting plate during a great feast or celebration: in the dining-room, a wine-cooler filled with bottles on ice was to be placed underneath between the table’s legs.

Mahogany furniture of this high calibre was typical of London furniture makers of the middle of the eighteenth century. Dense, high quality mahogany was capable of taking ambitious, rich carving, such as that found on the present tables which is here combined with a crisply carved frieze design derived from classical architecture. The Italianate or antique classical ‘Roman’ fashion in furniture was to display a rich marble top or slab supported by a wooden, painted or gilded frame, appropriate for a Roman-style banqueting room. This Italian style was promoted by the aesthete, antiquarian and architect, Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694–1753) and his protégé the talented designer William Kent (c.1685–1748), both of whom had toured Italy together. Here each table displays a rich verde antico marble slab, supported by mahogany frames carved with bold classical motifs: the stylised ‘Greek key’ frieze pattern and a shell – emblematic of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

The cabinet-makers responsible for supplying specific pieces of furniture to Langley Park are not known, although there are payments to a number of major cabinet makers who may plausibly be associated with making or supplying this pair of tables. Langley Park was built in the 1740s for Sir William Beauchamp-Proctor (1722–1773). In the absence of documentation, only an attribution is possible. However, if the tables are original to that house, a maker known to Matthew Brettingham (1699–1769), architect of Langley Park, would seem likely. There are payments to William Hallett Sr. (c.1707– 1781) for furniture for Langley Park in the 1740s and these would plausibly form the basis of a convincing attribution for furniture of the calibre of these tables. In 1748 Hallett invoiced Beauchamp-Proctor for ‘3 large Mahog. Dining Tables to join to Dine from £15.5; Carved & Gilt Picture Frames £9. 10s. Received £64. 13s. 4d. less £5 Recd by 2 tea tables much broke’.² Looking beyond Hallett, in the 1750s John Cobb (c.1715–1778) and William Vile (fl. 1740–1767) were in partnership with William Hallett Sr and his son William Hallett Jr and invoiced Sir William Beauchamp-Proctor for a quantity of furniture for both his London and his Norfolk seats.³

Matthew Brettingham was one of the architects of Holkham Hall at the same time as Langley was being constructed. Both Hallett and William Bradshaw supplied furniture for Holkham from 1740 onwards and is recorded still supplying tapestries there in 1773. Interestingly, John Cobb’s parents were married in 1705 at Ashby St Mary, just 2 miles to the east of Langley, and Cobb’s relations (possibly his nephew) lived at Marlingford, west of Norwich at the time of Cobb’s death in 1778. The cabinet-making nexus of Cobb – Vile – Hallett, when combined with Cobb’s Norfolk origins cannot be ruled out. William Hallett Senior supplied furniture for Holkham between 1737 and 1752, and on stylistic and documentary grounds is probably the most plausible candidate as the maker of this pair of tables.⁴ The strong character of Palladian architecture on furniture design at that time is visible in cabinets and chairs almost certainly made by Hallett. Few pieces of case furniture may be firmly given to Hallett, and the sole piece which was likely by his or his son’s hand was a great architectural cabinet bearing the inscription ‘William Hallett 1763, Long Acre’. Other furniture which survives and can be documented as by Hallett include eighteen walnut chairs made for 15

Jacob Bouverie, 1st Viscount Folkestone (1694–1761) for Longford Castle and long set for Arthur, 7th Viscount Irwin at Temple Newsam Hall, Yorkshire.⁵ Indeed, on the basis of the foregoing, the set of at least ten armchairs and one settee with an x-frame front leg design (photographed at Langley Park in the 1920s), are likely to be by Hallett. Their Palladian design derives from the set made for George II by Henry Williams for the Queen’s Withdrawing Room at Hampton Court Palace, 1737. The design was almost certainly made by William Kent (see D. Shawe-Taylor (ed.), The First Georgians: Art and Monarchy, London, 2014, no.115, pp.210–211). Brettingham, Thomas Coke and William Kent were all part of the circle around Lord Burlington, and between them introduced neo-Palladianism into English country house design, including William Kent’s heavily Romaninfluenced interiors of Kensington Palace (completed 1727) and Lord Burlington’s Chiswick House (completed in 1729) and elsewhere.

p r o ve n ance Almost certainly supplied to Sir William BeauchampProctor, 1st Bt. (1722–1773), for Langley Park, Norfolk, after he had inherited the newly built house in 1744–45; by family descent until sold by Sir Christopher ProctorBeauchamp, Bt, Christie’s London, 6 July 1995, lot 100. US Private Collection. li t e r atu r e O. Brackett, ‘Langley Park, Norfolk. The Seat of Mrs Barker-Hahlo’, Country Life, 2 July 1927, p.18, fig.4 (illustrated in situ in The Dining Room) O. Brackett, ‘Furniture of Langley Park, Norfolk – I’, Country Life, 15 October 1927, p.568, fig.2 P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, rev. ed. 1954, vol. III, p.290, fig.46 R. Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1964, p.587, fig.37.

1, Photographed in 1927 against the window piers in the Dining Room of Langley Park (O. Brackett, ‘Langley Park, Norfolk. The Seat of Mrs BarkerHahlo’, Country Life, 2 July 1927). 2, William Hallett entry from Dictionary of British & Irish Furniture Makers 1500–1914, BIFMO, accessed 17.9.2024.

3, From 1754–61 John Cobb worked in partnership with William Vile at Langley Park, a mere two miles from Cobb’s childhood home at Ashby, Norfolk. He and Vile charged £130.14.5 for furniture supplied to Sir William Beauchamp Proctor in 1754, see Dictionary of Norfolk Makers, 1700–1840, BIFMO; and Dictionary of British & Irish Furniture

Top: Exterior Langley Park, Norfolk, Country Life, 2 July 1927. Middle: The tables pictured in the dining Room of Langley Park, Country Life, 2 July 1927. Bottom: One of the pair in Langley Park, Country Life, 15 October 1927. Images courtesy of Country Life/ Future Publishing Ltd.

Makers 1500–1914, BIFMO, accessed 17.9.2024; John Stabler, Furniture History Society Newsletter, ‘John Cobb in Norfolk’ , February 2006, pp.7–8. William Vile entry from Dictionary of British & Irish Furniture Makers 1500– 1914; BIFMO, accessed 17.9.2024. 4, Dictionary of British & Irish Furniture Makers 1500–1914, recorded under

entry for William Linnell Norfolk Record Office BEA 305/760, BIFMO, accessed 17.9.2024. 5, A. Coleridge, ‘A Reappraisal of William Hallett’, Furniture History, 1965, pp.11–12 and plate II; and R. Bird, ‘Visits to Longford Castle’, Furniture History Society Newsletter, February 2023, p.34.

t h e lon gle at va se An Empire Ormolu-Mounted Sevres Hard Paste Dark-Blue Ground Oviform Vase. The mounts attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire. France c.1810. Height: 15½ in (39.5 cm)

The out turned water-leaf rim with twin scrolled handles, enriched with paterae, and supported by bearded satyr masks. The body supported by a berry and foliate moulded plinth with turned and gadrooned socle, ending in a square base., bearing a 19th Century paper label inscribed ‘4 D’, the porcelain unmarked, the gilding original, probably conceived with a porcelain lid. A similar krater form vase, but of a larger scale, was acquired by the Garde-Meuble Imperial in 1810 for the chateau du Compiegne where it was placed in salon Roi. This latter vase has similar handles en rouleau terminating in Medusa masks, which were commissioned from Pierre-Philippe Thomire at a cost of 600F. Thomire assumed the role of bronzier at Sevres in the late 1770s. The mounts on this Longleat vase, with their distinctive stiff, out turning leaf cup holding the bowl, and the finely detailed chasing and casting with a rich contrast with both matte and burnished gilding, are characteristic of Thomire’s exceptional oeuvre.

p r o venance Almost certainly bought by Thomas, 2nd Marquess of Bath (1765–1837) for Longleat, Wiltshire and by descent at Longleat. Christie’s London 14th June 2002, Lot 309 Private European Collection

l i terature 1837 Inventory, No. 64 Drawing Room, ‘Blue Vase and Two Urns mounted in Ormolu’. C. Hussey, ‘Longleat, Wiltshire-IV’, Country Life, 29 April 1949, p.991, fig.3. H. Granville Fell (ed.), The Connoisseur Year Book, 1951, London, p.41, fig.VI.

vien n ese m ahogany an d boxwo od wall reg u lator An early 19th century Viennese regulator wall clock of exceptionally fine quality and elegant design, made in mahogany outlined with boxwood stringing, the square hood with architectural pediment, the recessed dial with ormolu centre and engine turned bezel inscribed ‘a list in wien’, the case glazed at the front and sides to reveal the brass pendulum with large engine turned ormolu bob. Anton List (1799–1876). Master Vienna 1828. Austria, c.1830. Height: 36 in (91 cm); width: 8 3/4 in (22 cm); depth: 6 3/4 in (17 cm)

a p a i r of m a rque try i n laid waln u t si de c ha i rs A pair of Queen Anne walnut side chairs with cabriole leg and diamond toe decorated with seaweed marquetry, in the style of Gerreit Jensen. England, c.1710. size of each Height: 42 in (107cm); height to seat: 16.5 in (42cm); depth: 18 in (46cm)

a p air of George I gi lt-g esso side tabl es Attributed to James Moore. Two nearly identical giltwood and gesso side tables, the rectangular tops carved with complex and superbly executed interlaced raised strapwork and foliate decoration on a punched ground, the shaped and scrolled frieze equally highly carved and centred by a female mask with feather head-dress, raised on carved cabriole legs, carved with ‘Indian’ masks, on foliage-wrapped pad feet. England c.1720.

table one

table two

Height: 30 ¾ in (78 cm);

Height: 30¼ in (77 cm);

width: 62 in (157.5 cm);

width: 62 ½ in (159 cm);

depth: 22 ½ in (57 cm)

depth: 24 in (61 cm)

These two remarkable gilt-gesso tables, made in England around 1720, have small differences in detail and depth, but were probably conceived together, perhaps as single tables in a series of rooms in an apartment. Of extraordinary grandeur and quality, these tables epitomise the special culmination at the beginning of the eighteenth century in English taste and design in furniture, combining Renaissance strapwork patterns interpreted by designers in the circle around Jean Bérain, designer at the court of Louis XIV such as Daniel Marot, whose designs were then modified and superbly carried out by English furniture makers of the early eighteenth century. Gilded and gessoed (or gilt-gesso) furniture is of especial richness and of great fragility owing to the delicateness of the gesso into which the carved design is cut onto which layers of gossamer-thin gold leaf are applied. Depending on the design, some parts are burnished and others treated as ‘matte’ resulting in a subtle interplay of brightness and shade, reflection and absorption of light which would accentuate the carved detail in candlelight. William Cavendish (d. 1729) Marquess of Hartington, 26

later 2nd Duke of Devonshire, while serving as High Steward of Queen Anne’s Household in about 1705 ordered a similar pair of tables, which displayed his coronet and cipher. The cabriole legs of the tables were also carved with satyr-masks with plumed and foliated head-dresses.¹ A table with entwined ‘C’ cipher in the cut-gesso top and, like the previous tables, perhaps supplied by James Moore for James Brydges, Marquess of Carnarvon and Duke of Chandos, features similar satyr masks with feathered headdresses.² Some of the best-known tables of this type were made by the partnership of James Moore and John Gumley for George I’s new rooms at Kensington Palace (designed by William Kent), many of which are part of the Royal Collection shown in Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace (RCIN 596, 597, 1102, 21599). All these foregoing tables feature the armorial of the patron carved into the gesso top, which the present pair lack. John Gumley was a mirror specialist (Moore being a joiner and cabinetmaker) and, in partnership with Moore, supplied at least three large mirrors for the Prince and Princess of Wales’s apartment at Hampton Court Palace during the reign of George I.³ These rooms

in the wing added by William III, were intended for Queen Mary, but were unfinished at her death in 1694 and only refurnished after 1714, when the palace was taken over as a summer residence by the Hanoverian royal family, and Queen Mary’s former apartment used by the future George II and Queen Caroline. The layout of the apartment (overlooking the East Front Garden) indicates that each of the three large mirrors was hung on a window pier with a single table standing below in the Privy Chamber, Drawing Room and Bedchamber, rooms arranged en filade. Noting the differences and similarities between the mirrors at Hampton Court Palace, one can imagine similar design variations in the making of tables to stand below individual large mirrors of this type, hanging in adjoining rooms. One of the mirrors made for Hampton Court features the distinctive element of a female mask with a headdress made with plumes of feathers. The same design is seen in the centre of the frieze of the present tables. This female mask may represent Minerva or ‘La Pallas d’Angleterre’ as noted in a cartouche bearing Queen Anne’s cypher in a book of ornaments issued in 1712 by Cornelius Gole ‘po’ l’usage de plusiers Artisans’ (see J. Hardy and A. Turpin, ‘Cornelius Gole’s Book of Ornament’, Apollo, January 1993, p.21, fig.8). More unusual, rare and highly distinctive are the finely carved mustachioed male heads, their heads encircled with a studded diadem, from which emerges foliage, not unlike the plumage seen on the central female mask. These exotic figures may be intended to suggest Chinese or Asian figures, perhaps evoking Chinese decorative arts – especially blue and white porcelain – which was at that time highly fashionable. A giltwood and gilt-gesso table attributed to James Moore, is carved with bold and highly distinctive male heads with headdresses of plumes of feathers at the top of each leg, its top is carved with the armorial of Arundell of Wardour. Another table with similar exotic plumed heads, in this case a walnut table attributed to the Exeter maker John Channon, with carved and gilded heads at the top of the legs is at Antony, Cornwall (J. Cornforth, ‘Antony House, Cornwall – I’, Country Life, 9 June 1988, fig.11, p.287). A similar table with headdress figures on the legs was sold at Christies New York, 11 October 2007, lot 131 ($103,000) and another table is in the Jon Gerstenfeld collection.⁴

proven a n c e One table formerly in the Collection of Countess Mona Bismarck, sold Sotheby’s Monaco 1986, the other table from a private English collection Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd, the first table in 1989, the second in 1994 Until 1999 both tables were together in a private collection. Private collection, USA. i l l us trated Connoisseur, March 1943, Blairman & Sons advertisement, as one of a pair. Country Life, 8 June 1989, Mallett & Son advertisement, one table. L. Synge, Mallett’s Great English Furniture, 1991 p.87, fig.92 (one table). L. Synge, Mallett Millennium, 1999, p.355, fig.455. 1, O. Brackett, English Furniture Illustrated, London, rev.ed., 1950, p.144, pl. CXVI 2, The table is now at the Treasurer’s House, York, see T. Murdoch, ‘The king’s cabinetmaker: the giltwood furniture of James Moore the Elder’, The Burlington Magazine, June 2003, p.417, fig.22. A marriage chest by Moore formerly at Stowe, Buckinghamshire bearing the arms of Richard Temple, Baron Cobham also features plumed

female masks (ibid., p.410, fig.8). 3, R. Edwards and M Jourdain, Georgian Cabinet-Makers, London, rev. ed., 1955, figs.16 and 17; D. Shawe-Taylor (ed.) The First Georgians, London, 2014, p.182, cat. no. 98. The Royal Collection inventory numbers (RCIN) are 1090, 1104, 1105. 4, E. Lennox-Boyd (ed.), Masterpieces of English Furniture: The Gerstenfeld Collection, London, 1998, fig.34, p.75, cat. no. 13.

a George III statu ar y m arble b l u e -gr oun d an d g ilded v e r r e e g lom ise c h im n ey piece Height: 53¾ in (136.5 cm); width 73¼ in (186 cm); diameter 8 in (20.5 cm). Aperture: 40½ in (103 cm) × 47½ in (120.5 cm)

The rectangular moulded shelf above a frieze centred by an oval panel of a pastoral scene signed ‘e. connard’ flanked by scenes of classical maidens bearing foliage, each linked to a central scene of a classical figure in a leaf-wrapped and beaded circular border, with two further oval panels at each end, on pilaster supports conformingly decorated with classical figures amidst arabesques and foliage. England, c.1795. This rare statuary marble and verre eglomise chimneypiece is enriched in the ‘antique’ fashion with golden landscape medallions accompanied by jasperblue tablets, whose Arabesques reflect the fashion popularised by the 1780s engravings of J. D. Dugourc. The rose-flowered pilasters feature dancing Pompeian figures while the frieze medallions depict sentimental figures such as ‘Cupid disarmed by Euphrosine’, that derive from an engraving of Venus’s attendant Grace after a painting by Angelica Kauffman. It relates in particular to the elegant copper-painted chimneypieces with Kauffman scenes executed for Piercefield Park, Monmouthshire in the mid-1790s by the ‘Peintre Ebeniste’ George Brookshaw (L. Wood, ‘George Brookshaw’, Pt. 2, Apollo, June 1991, p.385 pl. II). The landscapes relate to the verre eglomise work, of the Amsterdam-based artist Jonas Zeuner (d.1814) who

was amongst the most skilled masters. The method for transferring prints to glass surfaces was explained in J. Barrow’s, Dictionarium Polygraphicum, 1735, vol. I, p.114). The taste for furnishings decorated in this manner was popular throughout Northern Europe, and the art of glass painting (verre eglomise) was also practiced by ‘amateurs’ such as Isabella Beetham (neé Robinson), whose husband visited the Murano works to learn the technique in the 1770s. This chimneypiece bears the name of the ‘Brighton ware manufacturer’ and fancy japanner Edward Connard, who was listed at 21 East Street in the Brighton Directory, 1822 and was amongst some twenty retailers of ‘toys and fancy wares’. Given the outstanding elegance of its design, there must even be a possibility that it was commissioned as a showpiece for his own premises. Its vignettes relate to prints on ‘Brighton ware’ boxes such as were executed by the ‘Wise’ family of Tunbridge and retailed at Donaldson’s Library, the Steine, Brighton(B. Austen, Tunbridge Ware, London, 1992, pp.97 and 32). A tea-caddy with related glass tablets featuring the triumph of the summer and harvest deity Ceres was sold by Robert Harman, Sotheby’s, London, 12 November, 1999, lot 32. proven a n c e With Nicholas Gifford Mead. Private collection, Europe.

a r a r e s e t of te n roya l b rass in la i d eb o n i ze d m a h oga n y c hairs Height: 33 in 83.8cm); width 19 ½ in (49.5 cm); depth 17 in (43 cm)

Attributed to Tatham, Bailey and Sanders, probably commissioned for Windsor Castle by George IV as part of a larger set. The curved back rail with an ebony panel, inlaid with brass and flanked by ebonized floral and foliate scrolling. The upholstered back and seat in deep buttoned red leather and brass studding, which is repeated on the bowed and shaped seat rails; the turned front legs with ebonized collars depicting vine leaf raised decoration above, and swept back legs. England, c.1815.

This large suite of ten chairs is of an exact same design as two pairs of Regency chairs sold at Christie’s 6th July, 2000 (lot nos. 78 and 79), which had an inventory brand from Cumberland Lodge in 1873. In 1811, the Prince Regent had instructed John Nash to alter Cumberland Lodge for his personal use, however, the work was abandoned in 1814. There is an invoice for £2,000 from Tatham Bailey and Sanders in 1815, which may relate to these chairs. However, it seems more likely that they were commissioned for Windsor Castle as a larger set, four of which (those sold by Christie’s) were transferred to Cumberland Lodge in the 1870s and deaccessioned at a later date.

a p a i r o f c ha i rs a n d si de table Michelangelo Pergolesi

A very rare suite of fantasy furniture after designs by Michelangelo Pergolesi, the two chairs with elaborate Chinoiserie backs, with canopied bells and scrolling dragons, above foliate out turning legs ending in simulated goat’s pad feet. The table, with rouge griotte marble, painted in complementary decoration, with elaborate swags and foliate fountains supported on highly attenuated inward curving legs, tapering to similar painted feet. Northern Italy, c.1790. c h a i rs

ta ble

Height: 38 ¾ in (98.4 cm), width: 18 in (45.7 cm),

Height: 36 in (91.4 cm), width: 39 in (99.1 cm),

depth: 16 ¼ (41 cm)

depth: 19 in (48.3 cm)

This highly distinctive pattern of chair and equally singular design of table are almost certainly inspired by the printed designs of Michelangelo Pergolesi (d. 1801) in his Designs for Various Ornaments, published in fourteen parts between 1777 and 1801. Pergolesi had come to England from Italy and was working with the architect Robert Adam as a stuccoist and decorator alongside Agostino Brunias at Syon House in the 1760s. His pattern book became an essential handbook for neo-classical interior decorators in the last decades of the 18th century, providing quantities of alla antica decorative details, such as this ‘Etruscan’ style. Pergolesi’s designs were popular throughout Europe, especially in his native Italy, from where his fanciful and delightful antique designs ultimately originated. A chair of the same design is in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York (inv. no 19246-1) and was exhibited in Mr Pergolesi’s Curious Things: Ornament in 18th-Century Britain, an exhibition exploring Pergolesi’s drawings and designs. A triple-chairback settee of the same design but with female figures dividing the chair back, is in The Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota (inv. no. SN1533). The pair to the present table may be one sold at Sotheby’s Paris, 15 September 2017, lot 32. 32

Mona Bismarck was a renowned beauty, fashion icon and society hostess. The fashion journalist and editor Diana Vreeland described her ‘unforgettable elegance’ and Diana Mosely, in 1986, wrote that ‘There was never an ugly object in any of Mona & Eddie’s [von Bismarck] houses’. She was married five times: her third husband was the American businessman Harrison Williams (1873–1953), whom she married in July 1926. In New York they lived in a superb townhouse at 94th and Fifth Avenue, and at Oak Point, Bayville, an estate on Long Island. They also kept houses in Palm Beach and on Capri. After Williams’ death in 1953, she married Eddie, Count von Bismarck-Schönhausen (1903–1970), a grandson of the great German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. They lived mostly between Paris and Capri, Paris in the autumn and winter at the hotel Lambert ; in Capri, at the villa il Fortino during the spring and summer. Il Fortino was Mona’s favoured home, where she left each autumn with a heavy heart and returned to her delightful garden there the following spring. The villa was constructed over remains of a palace built for the Roman Emperor Tiberius. In 1971, a year after Eddie’s death, she married Umberto de’Martini, who died in a driving accident in 1979. Mona was buried

in Long Island in a Givenchy gown designed for her, alongside her husbands Harrison Williams and Eddie von Bismarck. The cream of her collection was bequeathed to museums, including her dresses, which were given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her collections were dispersed in several auctions held in 1986 and 1987, the proceeds of which and the bulk of her estate and the house at 34 avenue de New York, Paris, established the Mona Bismarck Foundation to promote Franco-American friendship through arts and culture. In 2011 the Foundation was renamed the American Center for Arts and Culture and in 2022 the house was sold and the proceeds donated to the American Library in Paris.

proven a n c e Countess Mona Bismarck (1897–1983), villa il Fortino, Capri; sold Sotheby’s Italy house sale, Florence, Palazzo Capponi, 6–7 April 1987. 1, A. Aymonino, Enlightened Eclecticism: The Grand Design of the 1st Duke of Northumberland, New Haven and London 2021, p.141.

a Louis XVI o rm ol u-m oun ted p o r p h y r y g arn itur e The ormolu mounts attributed to Pierre Gouthière, the porphyry attributed to Augustine Bocciardi. Comprising a pair of vases and a tazza, each with a square stepped beaded and panelled plinth mounted with guilloche and foliate clasps, the vases of Medici shape, with out-turned rim, waisted body and circular spreading foot, the tazza with moulded everted rim flanked by twin scrolling serpent handles, above a foliate and berried cup and conforming foot. One vase with restoration to the rim. France, c.1775. the ta z z a Height: 13 in (33 cm); diameter: 13 in (33 cm) the vas es Height: 13 ½ in (34 cm); diameter: 9 in (23 cm)

The pair of vases from this magnificent garniture is identical to two other pairs of vases, one pair in the the J. Paul Getty Museum and another pair in the musée du Louvre. This second pair were purchased from the remarkable collections of the duc d’Aumont in 1782 by Louis XVI, and included amongst many other purchases, as an endowment for the newly established Musée du Louvre. The catalogue entry for the d’Aumont sale, organised by the marchand-mecriers Philippe François Julliot and Alexandre-Joseph Paille, mentions a second pair of vases from the celebrated collection of M. de Boisset some five years earlier, which may relate to the pair now at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Pierre Gouthiére (1732–1813) became a master ciseleurdoreur in 1758. He was considered during both his lifetime and after his death, one of the most important 18th century French artists, and worked for both Louis XV and Louis XVI, as well as many of the great architects 36

and sculptors of the period. Gouthiére was a master of chasing and created a new type of gilding that left a matte finish that enabled him to play with different surfaces on his bronzes. His works were so admired by the royal household, that not only were many pieces commissioned directly from him, but also acquired at public auction by the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi. Little is known of the Genoese sculptor Augustine Bocciardi (1719–1797), who was mainly active in Paris. Few of his works now exist, partly because his principal commissions from the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi were for ephemeral theatrical projects for major royal events, such as the wedding opera for Marie Antoinette at Versailles. proven a n c e Possibly Louis Charles Philippe d’Orléans, duc de Nemours (1814–1896), second son of King Louis-Philippe of France. Christie’s London 12th December 2002, lot 50. Private European Collection.

p a ir of very f in e George I gilt - g esso side tabl es The shaped front apron with pendant central shell beneath scrolling foliate concave entablature rail, supported on four tapering cabriole legs, each with crisply defined ‘Indian’ masks with ornate headdresses, ending in foliate scrolled pad feet; The antique breccia marble tops with stepped moulded edge. England, c.1720. s i z e of eac h Height: 29 1⁄8 in (74 cm) , width: 31 ¾ in (80.6 cm) , depth: 19 in (48.3 cm)

The tops of the legs, headed by plumed ‘Indian’ masks, can be compared to a group of gilt gesso furniture attributed to James Moore. A gilt side table at Treasurer’s house, York, thought to be from the collection of the first Duke Chandos, James Bridges, is of similar design. The application of these mythical masks is a particularly continental influence on Moore’s work, but actually have a Renaissance influence from 16th Century Italian Grotesques. These designs were later adapted by French designers such as Berain and Boulle, whose furniture was of great inspiration to Moore. Similar motifs in furniture can be seen on a table at Chatsworth, and also on a related set of chairs from Wanstead House. 42

th e in f atado suite a n i mp or tan t set of six r e d l ac quer c h airs Giles Grendey This remarkable set of japanned chairs represents one of the largest groups from this historical suite to have been available on the market over the last 100 years. The decoration throughout remains in very good original condition with only minor restorations and a number of the seats even retain their original 18th century caning. England, 1720–30. 44

the p air of arm chairs

th e s et of fou r sid e c h a ir s

Each decorated with Chinese style scenes of courtly figures in landscapes, surrounded by foliage, birds and strapwork, the vase-shaped splat and shaped stiles above a bowed seat, with shaped arms and serpentine supports, on cabriole legs joined by shaped moulded stretchers, on pad feet, one with craftsman’s stamp ‘hw’ and ‘ei’, the other with printed paper label ‘giles grendey, St John’s Square, Clerkenwell, london, Makes and Sells all Sorts of cabinet goods, Chairs, Tables, Glasses, &c.’, also inscribed ‘m’ and labelled ‘1 fiera nazionale d’arte antica – Cremona’ the label inscribed ‘al ve n. 39’ [presumably for Adolph Loewi, Venezia], three feet spliced on one chair, one foot spliced on the other, overall minor restorations to the decoration, and two seat-rails, the caning on one chair possibly original.

En suite with the previous, decorated with Chinese style scenes of courtly figures in landscapes, two with craftsman’s incision ‘mw’, one inscribed in pencil ‘I’, another inscribed in pencil ‘R’ and three inscribed ‘III’, the seat rail on one chair restored, one foot spliced and two ears restored The caning on one chair original. Armchairs: Height of back: 41 ½ in (105 cm); width of seat: 21 ½ in (54.5 cm); depth: 21 in (51 cm) Single chairs: Height : 44 in (112 cm); width: 30 in (76 cm); depth: 19 in (48 cm)

The Infantado Suite Japanning, which is European decoration in imitation of Asian lacquer, was popular for furnishings from the end of the seventeenth century right through beyond the middle years of the eighteenth century. The large suite of furniture, known as ‘The Infantado Suite’, from the Spanish family who sold the suite in the 1930s, is the largest and probably the most significant group of furniture ever made for a client in another country. The suite, now dispersed, comprises more than seventyseven known items including some fifty single chairs, twelve armchairs, two day-beds, two pairs of mirrors, a pair of candle stands, a card-table, a pair of secretairecabinets and a tripod tea-table. A pair of red and giltjapanned cabinets-on-giltwood stands were auctioned in Hamburg, September 2023 for in excess of €400,000. Part of the suite was photographed in the late 19th century in the Saloon at Lazcano Castle, Northern Spain¹, before the majority of the suite was bought in 1930 by the Venice-based dealer Adolph Loewi.² A few years later in 1935, the furniture historian R W Symonds published an article that revealed Giles Grendey’s successful trade with Spain and continental Europe, of which the Infantado suite must have been a considerable part.³ Whilst the importance of the suite is indisputable, it is all the more remarkable that the 18th century origins were obscured by the time it appeared on the art market in 1930. Across the intervening century, many pieces have appeared on the international art market and have since entered some of the most important museum collections of decorative art, notably The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Temple Newsam House, Leeds; The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Museo nacional de artes decorativas, Madrid.⁴ 46

A remote castle in northern Spain would seem a surprising setting for the commission a large splendid and fashionable suite of English furniture. The Infantado family was one of the most powerful and influential of Spanish families from the late 15th century through to the end of the 19th century. The Dukedom of Infantado was created on 22 July 1475 by King Ferdinand VII and Queen Isabella, the ‘Reyes Católicos’, for Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Figueroa. In 1520, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Habsburg Charles V further ennobled the family, adding the title of ‘Con Grandeza de España’ or ‘Grandeeship of Spain’, an honour given to reinforce loyalty to the Emperor from the leading families of Spain. Across the next two and a half centuries, the MendozaInfantado accumulated great wealth and collections – by 1800 the 13th Duke owned a group of forty-six modelli of paintings by Rubens, originally commissioned for Philip IV of Spain.⁵ Perhaps the furniture by Grendey was ordered by the 10th Duke of Infantado for his daughter, the future 11th Duchess, around the time of her marriage in 1724. Or maybe the suite was commissioned by the same Duchess after her accession to the title in 1737: she was one of the most important heiresses of Europe, with numerous titles and privileges besides that of the ancient Dukedom of Infantado.⁶ In 1882, on the death of the 15th Duke, Don Andrés, a descendant of Don Juan Antonio de Arteaga of Lazcano inherited the Infantado Dukedom, after the King intervened and decreed that the ancient title of Infantado should pass to the Marquessate of Valmediano, a descendent of the 5th Duke of Infantado (1536–1608). It is this inheritance – as late as 1882 – which brought the castle of Lazcano in Northern Spain into the ownership of the Dukes of Infantado.

Giles Grendey The ‘Cabinet-Maker and Chair-Maker’ Giles Grendey, was described in 1740 as ‘A great Dealer in the Cabinet Way’ carried on a considerable export trade from Aylesbury House in St. John’s Square, Clerkenwell.⁷ Furniture ordered by English landed gentry were among his clientele including Richard Hoare of Barn Elms and Jacob Bouverie of Longford Castle.⁸ He was appointed Upper Warden of the Joiners’ Company in 1747 and its

1, R. W. Symonds, ‘English Eighteenth Century Furniture Exports to Spain and Portugal’, The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, February 1941, Vol. 78, No. 455 (Feb., 1941), plate 1 C 2, C. de Arteaga, La casa del Infantado, cabeza de Mendoza, vol. II, 1944. 3, R. W. Symonds, ‘Giles Grendey (1693–1780) and the Export Trade of English Furniture to Spain’, Apollo, 1935, pp.337–342 4, See appendix for a list of the known locations of pieces from the suite in public institutions, as at the end of 2024 5, J. A. Ceán Bermúdez, Diccionario histórico de los más ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España, Madrid, 1800, pp.272–3; S. Alpers, The Decoration of the Torre de la Parada, Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burckhardt, IX, Brussels, 1971, pp.75 & 205–6, no.20a, fig.98. A modello from this group was sold from The Wernher Collection, Christie’s London, 5 July 2000, lot 87.

6, The 11th Duchess married the Marquis of Távara. 7, See British and Irish Furniture Makers Online entry for Giles Grendey : https://bifmo. furniturehistorysociety.org/entry/ grendey-giles-1693-1780 8, For the Hoare family, Stourhead: 1746–56 account book payments, including 29 April 1746 £64 for chairs and March 27 1751, £133 2s 9d; June 24 1752, £10 17s. [Wilts. RO, MS 383/6]. Also Barn Elms, Surrey (Richard Hoare). 1732 bill for chest of drawers, ‘Burow Table’. dressing glasses, chimney glasses, ‘Wrighting Disk’, etc. Total £38 14s 6d; 1732 bill for wall sconces, gold frames for glasses, tables, chest, etc. Total £14 16s 6d; 1737 bill for dressing chair, cabinet with glass doors, etc. Total £21 17s; 1739 bill for alterations to furniture, glass frames, etc. Total £17 6s 6d. [V & A Lib., English manuscripts, tradesmen’s bills, Sir R. Hoare, 1731– 54, 86 NN3]

Master in 1766. That Grendey had a large export business has never been doubted: a fire that badly damaged his workshop in 1731 including a chair which was apparently to be ‘purchas’d by a Person of Quality who design’d it as a Present to a German Prince’. The fire also destroyed furniture to the value of £1,000, that he ‘had pack’d for Exportation against the next Morning’.

proven a n c e Almost certainly supplied to either Don Juan de Dios de Silva Mendoza y Sandoval, 10th Duke of Infantado (1672–1737), or his daughter, Doña Maria Teresa de Silva y Mendoza, 11th Duchess of Infantado (1707–1770), and by descent. Don Joaquín Maria de Arteaga Lazcano y Echagüe Sliva-Bazán (1870–1947), 17th Duke of of Infantado, Lazcano from whom seventy-two pieces of the suite were bought by Adolph Loewi, 1930. Private Collection, Rome. Mallett, London Christie’s, London, 10 July 2003, lots 132, 133, 134 Mallett Private Collection, New York. ex h i b i ted Cremona, Italy. Fiera Nazionale d’Arte Antica, 1939

The Interior of Lazcano Palace, 19th century.

s e l ect bi bli ograp hy R. W. Symonds, ‘Giles Grendey (1693–1780) and the Export Trade of English Furniture to Spain’, Apollo, 1935, pp.337–342. R. W. Symonds, Masterpieces of English Furniture and Clocks, London, 1940, pp.87–88, figs.56–57. R. Edwards & M. Jourdain, ‘Georgian Cabinet-Makers VIII – Giles Grendey & William Hallett’, Country Life, 1942, pp.176–177. C. de Arteaga, La casa del Infantado, cabeza de los Mendoza, vol. II, 1944. R. Edwards & M. Jourdain, Georgian Cabinet-Makers, 1955, p.145. H. Huth, Lacquer of the West, 1971, pls. 65–66. G. Wills, English Furniture 1550–1760, London, 1971, p.130. G. Beard & C. Gilbert (eds.), The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660–1840, Leeds, 1986, pp.371–372. G. Beard & J. Goodison, English Furniture 1500–1840, Oxford, 1987, pp.34 & 86.

a ppen d i x : furn i ture fro m t h e inf a nta d o s ui te i n pub l i c c ol l ec tio ns Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 1 single chair (acquired 1937, acc. no. 37.15) 1 card-table (acquired 1937, acc. no. 37.114) Victoria & Albert Museum, London 1 daybed (bought from John Hunt, 30 Bury Street, London, 1938, no. W.64-1938) Temple Newsam House, Leeds 6 single chairs & 1 armchair (acquired 1970, cat. no. 61 in C Gilbert’s, 1978 catalogue) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 1 daybed (acquired 1947, acc. no. 568-D4) Art Institute of Chicago 1 desk-and-bookcase (bureau) (given by John Bryan 2011, acc. no. 2011.799)

a n i m po rta n t pa i r of sa x o n r o ya l gi lt b ron ze m ou n ted k i n gw o o d pa rqu e try c a b i n ets The upper section with two mirrored doors, opening to reveal richly figured drawers and surmounted by a scrolled cresting with ormolu-mounted platforms for porcelain display. The shaped lower section with elaborate parquetry drawer fronts, all mounted in ormolu with coronet handles and lock plates. Attributed to Johann Gottfried Leuchte. Germany, c.1740.

Height: 90 ½ in (229.9 cm); width: 48 in (121.9 cm)

This pair of cabinets may be associated with one recorded in the Dresden Residenz in the 1769 inventory as: ‘Ein fein gearbeiteter Nußbaumener Schrank mit zwei Spiegeltüren, unten mit vier Auszügen, über und über mit meßingenen Einfaßungen, Verzierungen, auch dergl. Schildern und Handheben versehen.’¹ That cabinet is today in the Basel Historical Museum, with Chinese wallpaper panels fitted into the doors in place of the original mirrors (fig.1, p.54).² It was sold from the Saxon royal collections in Berlin in the 1880s, and was later in the collection of Prof Werner Weisbach who moved from Germany to Basel, Switzerland in 1935. Subsequently sold to Hans-Peter His in 1953 and bequeathed to the Basel Historical Museum in 1974. Although this history relates to a single cabinet, a pair of almost identical design, are photographed in the Arbeitszimmer of the Dresden Residenzschloss in 50

the 1920s (fig.2). Rudolf von Arps- Aubert noted in 1939 that there were two other cabinets, one of which stood in the Yellow Chamber of the residence.³ It seems likely therefore, that the present pair of cabinets would have been a royal commission and supported porcelain above the upper cresting. The form of this piece is based on English designs for what we would call a bureau, but using elaborate veneers of strongly coloured hardwoods, with lavish gilt mounts, following the French fashion, the Dresden Court valued both traditions of cabinetmaking and English style cabinets had been accepted as ‘Masterpieces’ by the cabinet-makers guild in Dresden since 1731. Interest in French design was much favoured throughout Europe in the 18th century and was greatly increased by the marriage of MariaJosepha, Augustus III’s (1696–1763) daughter, to Louis XV’s son in 1747.

Fig. 2, A similar pair of cabinets pictured in King Albert’s Arbeitszimmer of the Dresden Residenzschloss, 1896.

It is useful to consider other cabinets of this general form made in Dresden in the middle of the 18th century to grasp the historical context of the present pair, and the sequence of various comparable cabinets made in Dresden between 1700 and 1750. Of the cabinets which remain in the former royal palaces in Dresden, the most comparable was one made for the Elector Augustus ‘the Strong’ of Saxony’s (1670–1733) use at his hunting lodge, Schloss Moritzburg near Dresden. This cabinet is inscribed ‘Johann Gottfried Leuchte hat dieses zum Meisterstück verfertigt und drey Jahre daran zugebracht nämlich von Ao 1744–1746 in Dresden’ [Johann Gottfried Leuchte made this as his masterpiece and completed it over the course of 3 years in Dresden from 1744–46].⁴ This latter cabinet has a very similar design of base as our pair of cabinets, it features mirrored doors divided by a pilaster, and has an elaborate arched cresting. Leuchte was a maker from Allstedt, a small town to the west of Leipzig, and came to Dresden in 1744. This magnificent ormolu-mounted rosewood cabinet is his only known work.⁵ Such was the Saxon Royal Court’s taste for English style cabinets, that at Schloss Pillnitz, some 23 cabinets that were listed in the 1734 inventory were described as ‘English’. The brass inlay and gilded metal mounts were often made by local belt-makers and locksmiths, although their names rarely appear on invoices and furniture inventories. Both court cabinet-makers Peter Hoese and Johann Schwartz, are known to have used mounts by the court locksmith, Deidrich Gertz, for their furniture. p r ovenance Probably supplied to Frederick Augustus known as Augustus III, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Elector of Saxony, for the Residenzschloss, Dresden, c.1750. By descent until probably sold by the Wettin family, descendents of the Electors of Saxony in Berlin in the 1930s. With Karl Haberstock, Berlin, 1939. Private Collection, France, 1990s. l i te r atu r e R. von Arps-Aubert, Sächsische Barockmöbel 1700–1770, Berlin, 1939, p.50, plate 67, n. 87. G. Haase, Dresdener Möbel des 18. Jahrhunderts, Leipzig, 1993, p.300. 54

Fig. 1, Ormolu-mounted rosewood cabinet, attributed to Johann Gottfried Leuchte, c.1750. Formerly a the Dresden Residenzschoss until the 1880s (Basel Historical Museum, Inv, Nr 1974.133). 1, Staatsarchiv OHMA Lit. R. Kap. XVI Nr. 6, quoted in G. Haase, Dresdener Möbel des 18. Jahrhunderts, Leipzig 1993, p.300 2, Basel Historical Museum, Inv. Nr 1974.133 3, R. von Arps-Aubert, Dresdener

Barockmöbel 1700–1770, Berlin, 1939, p.72, n. 87. 4, R. von Arps-Aubert, Dresdener Barockmöbel 1700–1770, Berlin, 1939, p.51 5, G. Haase, Dresdener Möbel des 18. Jahrhunderts, Leipzig 1993, p.370

George III si lve r c rue t sta nd w i t h f o ur c on di m e n t b ottles

English, 1793. Height: 10 ¼ in (26 cm)

Retaining its original four Bristol blue condiment bottles, labeled ‘Ketchup’, ‘Soy’, ‘Cayenne’, ‘Anchovy’ their gilt decoration in fine condition. 55

a p a i r o f louis xv g iltwoo d f a u teuil s à c h assis Pierre Remy A pair of Louis XVI fauteuils à chassis in particularly fine condition. The frames with shield-shaped backs and floral carving on the shoulders and at the apex of the back. The side rails are carved with a scroll moulding with a deep carved flute between. The arms are carved with ‘C’ scrolls framing the arm pads with a scroll handle which transforms to an ‘S’ scroll and slightly twists as it joins the seat rail. The seat rails are carved with mouldings which are scrolling and have a high relief floral motif at the centre. The chairs stand on cabriole legs with scrolled tips, the front ones are carved with an ‘S’ scroll at the front edge, which opens at the top into a further floral motif, again carved in high relief. Both stamped on the back rail ‘P REMY’. The seat frames are original, and they retain their original webbing. France, c.1750. si ze of eac h Back height: 37in (94cm); seat height: 17in (43cm); width: 28in (71cm); depth: 21in (53cm)

Pierre Remy (1724–1798) was born into a family of furnituremakers with strong connections throughout the Paris trade. His father made seat furniture (menuisier), and his mother was the niece of the great royal cabinet-maker (ébéniste) Gilles Joubert (1689–1775): the Remy family workshops were established in the rue Poissonière. Remy became a master (maître) in 1750 and continued to make furniture until he retired in 1780, living a further eighteen years. Remy was one of the leaders of style in chair design in the middle of the 18th-century. He and Louis Delanois (1731–1792) were amongst the first menuisiers to take a strong interest in the revival of classicism. These stylistic developments are evident in some of his chairs, especially those from the ‘transitional’ period, i.e. the moment when furniture design evolved from the curving rococo to the rectilinear classical, the fashion for which began in the late 1750s. These chairs are typical of his workshop and the motifs used are consistently seen on his chairs of this period. In particular, the use of large peonies on the top rail, apron and the knees, combined with the highly sculptural arm supports and grand proportions characteristic of his workshop. See K. Peres, ‘Pierre Remy, menuisier sous Louis XV et Louis XVI’, L’Objet d’Art, March 2001, pp.74–82.

a la r ge c hi n e se re ve rse g la s s m i rror pa i n ti n g A fine and rare late 18th century Chinese export mirror picture depicting a river scene with fishermen in the foreground and musicians in courtly dress seated within a pagoda and an idyllic rococo landscape. In the background, can be seen a village with boats along the river. Within a gilt and black Japanned frame. China, c.1780. 58

proven a n c e Holland Family, England (according to purchase invoice) Mallett Ltd., London October 1979 Private Collection, US Unframed 21 in (53.4 cm) × 26 in (66cm)

p a ir o f r eg en c y c h in oiseri e d e c o r at ed tol e tabl e sc reens

Height 14 ½ in (37 cm) Width 8 ¼ in (16 cm) Depth 4 1/8 in (10.5 cm)

A Pair of Regency Chinoiserie Decorated Tole Table Screens. Each base fitted with a shallow drawer for matches and tapers. England, c.1820

p r o v e na nc e Mallett, London

William IV ‘ jupe’ din in g -tabl e A very fine mahogany circular extending ‘Jupe’ patent dining-table. The form of this extraordinary table has a radial top, which expands on a spiral capstan and still today retains its complete set of its original leaves, allowing the table to have three different sizes; the framework, in a remarkable state of preservation with all of its original steel fittings and brass fixtures. England, c.1835. Height: 74 cm Diameter: 155 cm closed without leaves; 192 cm with small leaves; 225 cm with larger leaves.

Circular dining-tables are often considered to be the most convivial, those seated at the table can discuss easily with those on either side and beyond, while remaining in close contact with those on the other side. The convenience of this type of table, adjustable into three sizes means the table can be set for a dinner of four or six; a mid-size to seat eight or the largest size to seat twelve or even fourteen. The ingenious design mechanism which when rotated pushes the fixed wedge-shaped sections outward, opens a space for the leaves to be inserted. This was first patented by Robert Jupe in 1835. Jupe was an upholsterer of 47 Welbeck St, Cavendish Square, London and his ‘improved expanding table’ was made in partnership with John Johnstone of New Bond Street. Between 1835 and 1840 they traded under the name ‘Johnstone, Jupe & Co.’ After 1840, the two partners went their separate ways. The design typifies the spirit of the early 19th century, 62

when England was in the grip of the industrial revolution and engineered machinery was the driving force of empire. The patent (no.6788) stated ‘an improved expanded dining table so constructed that the sections composing its surface maybe caused to diverge from a common centre and that the spaces caused thereby, may be filled up by inserting leaves or filling pieces.’ This beautifully engineered table still works easily today and is ever popular with collectors. The original leaves are housed in a modern leaf box. b i b l i og ra ph y S. Gilbert, Pictorial History of Marked English Furniture 1700–1840 proven a n c e By repute, formerly Aldbar Castle, Brechin Careston Castle, Brechin

a n e oc la ssi c a l o r m olu gue ri don French c.1800.

This stylish design for a gueridon, or small circular table to be used in a drawing room, often supporting a lamp or bowl, was developed in Paris in the 1790s, during which time the dealer/ marchand mercier, Dominique Dagurre ordered tables of a similar design for his noble clientele. The architect François-Joseph Bélanger (1744–1818) invoiced for two three-legged tables in 1772: “Deux grand trépieds ornés de têtes de béliers, guirlandes de fleurs et de fruits, rinceaux d’ornements.”

By comparison, other early 18th century French tables were often taller, with small diameter plateaux, and could only hold a single candelabra or vase. The term Guéridon is said to have derived from the name of a celebrated enslaved Moor of the early 18th century, famed in Provencal songs (J. Fleming & H. Honour, Dictionary of Decorative Arts, London, rev.ed. 1989, p.374). Height: 30 in (76 cm); diameter: 19 ¾ in (60cm)

d av i d m ori e r ( 17 0 5 –17 7 0 ) George III on horse b a c k w i th at t e n d a nts, a vi e w of lon don a n d st pa u l’s b e yon d oil on canvas 67 × 67 inches (170 × 170 cm) In a fine giltwood frame

In a fine 18th century giltwood frame, possibly by the Royal cabinetmakers Benjamin Goodison and Katherine Naish.

The artist

The commission

David Morier was born in Switzerland but came to the attention of Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the Commander in Chief of the British army until 1758 when he fell out with his father George II. During the previous decade, Morier became a favourite artist for the Royal Family, and the largest collection of his works are held in the Royal Collection. This painting is one of the most ambitious in terms of scale and subject matter produced by the artist and unique in showing the King set in a landscape with London and St Paul’s Cathedral in the background.

On the accession of George III in 1760, Prince Edward Augustus, his younger brother became the heir presumptive. This painting, commissioned in about 1762, could be considered as a statement of respect to the new King from his heir to the throne. Edward Augustus, duke of York and Albany (1739–67) was the younger brother of King George III by just ten months. Both were born and raised in Norfolk House, St James’s Square, and by the 1750s were living in Savile House, Leicester Square where this painting may originally have been hung. In 1760–61, following his elder brother’s accession as King George III, new furniture for the duke was provided for Savile House by order of the Lord Chamberlain through the Great Wardrobe by the cabinetmaker Benjamin Goodison, the joiner Katherine Naish, paper-hangers Crompton & Spinnage, and cabinet-maker William Vile - all of whom were official suppliers to the Great Wardrobe (The National Archives, LC9 305 & 306). It is probable therefore that this superb frame was commissioned from the Royal cabinetmakers working for the family at that time.

p r o ve n ance Edward Agustus, Duke of York, brother of King George III Sir William Boothby, Bt.,his equerry (bequeathed from the above). George M. Buckston, Sutton-on the Hill; sale, Christie’s 3 December 1926, lot 150 Anon. sale, Christie’s 20 June 1975, lot 80. John Kluge His sale, Christie’s 24 April 1987 Private collection, UK 66

i ta l ia n c a r ved g iltwood pier table An important Italian carved giltwood pier table with its original bianco e nero or ‘Aquitania’ marble top with inset gilt-bronze edge, above a frieze carved with scrolling foliage, and in the centre a ram with Bacchus’s thyrsus carved in low relief inside an oval cartouche, standing on shaped legs headed by eagles with open wings, to claw feet. Christie’s printed cataloguing from the 1934 sale attached to the inside of one rail. Italy c.1775. Possibly by Antonio Landucci or Odoardo Wyndham. Height: 37 ½ in (95cm), width: 61 ¾ in (157cm), depth: 29 in (73.5cm)

This superb Italian giltwood table has traditionally been attributed to the carver and furniture maker Antonio Landucci, who worked for the princely Borghese family in Rome throughout the 1770s. In the year after his death in 1782, Lucia Landucci, his widow or daughter, continued to be paid for furniture made for the family’s residences in and around Rome. A very similar pair of tables in the Palazzo Quirinale, Rome was originally supplied for Prince Marcantonio Borghese for the audience chamber of the Palazzo Borghese. Discussing the Quirinale tables, Gonzalez-Palacios suggests that, based on other detailed accounts of furniture made by Landucci for the Borghese around this time, craftsmen involved in the making of the pair of tables may have included Nicola Francini or Carlo Palombi for the gilding, and that Casimiro Ponziani may have supplied the marble tops, which are veneered in alabastro a pecorella with a gilt bronze edging. Their design was no doubt approved by Antonio Asprucci, the architect and confidant of Prince Marcantonio Borghese. Asprucci was overseeing the revitalising of the Palazzo and Villa Borghese throughout the 1770s. The iconography of the carved elements – the eagle and the dragon emerging from trophies in the centre of the x-frame undertier, reflect the family’s heraldic emblems. Another possible maker for this table is perhaps the little-known maker Odoardo Wyndham, who supplied a very closely related carved table frame for the new Tapestry room in the Capitoline Palace, Rome, the design of which is close to those inspired by the designs of Piranesi in his Diverse maniere d’addornare i cammini, published in Rome in 1769, the year before the table was invoiced in March of 1770. The Capitoline table is now blackened, but was almost certainly originally entirely gilded. It supports a verde antico marble top with an inset gilt bronze edge.¹ He was probably the same Wyndham who made frames to go around two paintings by Luigi Vanvitelli for which he charged 140 ducats, and noted as a frame-maker in Rome around 1770 in the letters of Father John Thorpe.² Wyndham is recorded several years later working in the Grand Ducal court in Florence in 1778–1781 where he made the table frames to support commesso di pietre dure table tops, including a pair of neoclassical tables delivered in 1781 for the Tribuna of the Uffizi, Florence.³ He was one of the stuccoists employed in the decoration of the Sala della Niobe in the Uffizi, where the pair of tables now stand alongside the famous collection of ancient Roman marble sculptures brought to Florence 69

in 1770 by Cardinal Ferdinando de’Medici.⁴ Wyndham may also have been responsible for making the neoclassical table frame for the famous octagonal table top placed in the centre of the Tribuna of the Uffizi – the temple of Medici treasures – which made between 1633– 49 to celebrate the marriage of Ferdinando II de’Medici and Vittoria della Rovere in 1632. There are other similar models of tables sold recently such as at Salga auctions, Rome 21 November 1975, lot 66. A pair of similar tables with cabriole legs, guilloche carved frieze, an oval cartouche in the frieze, one with a bull, the other with a goat, and alabaster veneered tops was sold anonymously, Christie’s, London, 6 July 2006, lot 30. A magnificent pair of tables by Landucci and gilded by Francini which was supplied for the Palazzo 70

Borghese (at the same time as the pair discussed above) was sold anonymously, Christie’s London, 5 July 2001, lot 50. Like the pair above, the frieze also contained low relief carved oval cartouches depicting a bull and a ram. The source for the bull was probably derived from an antique gem, perhaps Bernard Picart’s engraving of a bull with a thyrsus illustrated in Philipp von Stosch’s Gemmae Antiquae Caelatae, 1724, pl. XL (Taurus Dionysiacus). Another spectacular pair of giltwood tables attributed to Landucci, and made for the Palazzo Borghese, likewise its manufacture described in great detail in an invoice which is kept in the Archivio Segreto (private archives) in the Vatican Archives, was sold by a descendent of Karl Bergsten, Christie’s London, 23 June 1999, lot 100.

proven a n c e Messrs. Partridge and Neave, London, 1907. Sir William and Lady Hutcheson Poё, Heywood, Co. Laois, Ireland, by 1917. Sold by Sir William Hutcheson Poё, from Batchwood Hall, St Albans; Christie’s, London, 26 July 1934, lot 122. J. J. Wolff, Esq., London. James R. Herbert Boone, Oak Hill, Baltimore (1899– 1983). Sotheby’s New York, 17 September 1988, lot 863A. Sotheby’s New York, 5 October 1991, lot 318. Norton Rosenbaum & Company, New York. The table shown in situ, in the Drawing Room, Heywood, Co. Laois, Ireland, in 1917. (Courtesy of The Country Life Image Archive).

The history of ownership Sir William Hutcheson Poë (1848–1934) was an Irish politician and rose to become a senator of the Irish Free State from 1922–1925. He married Mary Adelaide Domville in 1886 and they lived at Heywood House, Ballinakill, Co. Laois, and in 1923 bought Batchwood Hall, near St Albans, Hertfordshire.⁵ As a committed art enthusiast, he filled it with a superlative collection of works of art. Several pictures owned by Poë are today in important national collections across the world.⁶ In April 1933, Batchwood was struck by fire twice in three days, destroying many valuable paintings and furniture. Following Sir William’s death in 1934, the collection (including this table) was sold off at Christie’s where the table was described as ‘A Kent Giltwood Side Table’ – i.e. in the style associated with the designer William Kent (d. 1748), who was much influenced by Italian designers of the early 18th century. James Herbert Boone of Baltimore, was a descendent of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore and also of Pocahontas. He was described as ‘an art collector and world traveller’.⁷ He married Muriel Wurtz-Dundas in 1931 and they lived at Oak Hill House, Baltimore. The house and art collection was left to his alma mater, John Hopkins University to support humanities, which later generated funds to endow a chair in his name.

l i terature A. González-Palacios, il mobile a Roma: il Settecento, Rome, 2023, p.348, fig.302. c ompa rati ve l i terature L. Weaver, ‘Heywood – I’, Country Life, 4 January 1919, pp.16–22. L. Weaver, ‘Heywood – II’, Country Life, 11 January 1919, pp.42–47. A. González-Palacios, Il patrimonio artistico del Quirinale: il mobili Italiani, 1993, cat. no. 59, pp.184–185. E. Peters Bowron & J. Rishel (eds), Art in Rome in the 18th century, Philadelphia, 2000, no.58, p.173.

1, E. Colle, Il mobile neoclassico in Italia : arredi e decorazioni d’interni dal 1775 al 1800, 2005, pp.132–133; and A. Gonzalez Palacios, il mobile a Roma: il Settecento, Rome, 2023, p.348, fig.302 2, F. Strazzullo (ed.), Le lettere di Luigi Vanvitelli della Biblioteca palatina di Caserta, III, 1977, p.702 and J. Ingamells, Dictionary of British Travellers in Italy. 3, E. Colle, I mobili di Palazzo Pitti: il primo periodo lorenese 1737–1799, 1992, pp.35 & 114, no.43. 4, F. Cardini & R. Spinelli, Arti fiorentine, la grande storia dell’artigianato, 1998, p.41 5, Batchwood Hall, near St Albans, Hertfordshire was built in 1874 for Sir Edmund Beckett Denison, later

Baron Grimthorpe, who designed the house himself. A renowned controversialist, he claimed that in designing Batchwood he engaged ‘the only architect with whom I have never quarrelled’. After his death in 1905 it was bought (in 1907) by Mr & Mrs J Ramsay Drake who sold it to Hutcheson Poë in 1923. It is a country club and golf course today. 6, Sir William Orpen, The Dead Ptarmigan (NGI.945) & The Wash House (NGI.946); Jan Weenix, Game piece: the Garden of a Chateau, (NGI.947) in National Gallery of Ireland; Reynolds’ portrait of John Musters, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC (1961.2.2). Hutcheson Poë was a Governor of the National Gallery of Ireland. 7, The Baltimore Sun, 17 July 1983, p.27

a mar quetr y c abin et Jackson and Graham A Mid-Victorian ebony and marquetry side cabinet. Attributed to Jackson & Graham. Design attributed to Owen Jones. England, c.1875.

Height: 40 ¾ in (103.5 cm; width: 74 in (188 cm); depth: 23 in (58.4 cm)

This beautiful side cabinet was almost certainly made by the renowned London cabinet-makers Jackson & Graham, who worked to novel floral and geometric patterns by the renowned designer Owen Jones (1809– 1874). This side cabinet is close in design to several others of a similarly large scale and rich ornamentation. The largest of the group is a monumental cabinet made for Henry Arthur Brassey (1841–1890) for his London townhouse on Park Lane or his country house, Preston Hall, Aylesford, Kent. The central panel is fitted with a brass monogram of HAB and is thought to have been made by the Danish-born cabinet-maker and inlayer Ole Petersen (1864–1876) who worked on most of the high quality exhibition pieces made by Jackson & Graham. The cabinet was acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge in 1980 (museum no. M.15-1980). Other low cabinets of a similar design combining renaissance inspired neoclassical motifs, with Moorish naturalistic details can be seen in many museum collections; of a special note, is an open cabinet at the Metropolitan Museum New York (museum no. 1983.121), with similar mirrored centrepiece and articulated colonettes. John Hungerford Pollen (1820–1902), assistant keeper at the South Kensington Museum from 1863–1876 72

acknowledged the skill and high quality of Jackson & Graham’s cabinet-making. He wrote: ‘I might call attention to Messrs Jackson & Graham’s elaborate cabinet of marquetry, in patterns of Oriental character, after designs by the late Mr Owen Jones … The little columns of an inch and a half diameter were entirely covered with reticulated pattern in different woods. As the shafts were tapering, so the reticulated patterns had to be graduated in size from top to bottom. This was a feat of most difficult execution … a most laborious and costly operation’ (G. P. Bevan, British Manufacturing Industries, 1876–77, pp.161–216, quoted in C. Payne, British Furniture, 1820 to 1920, the Luxury Market, London, 2023, p.299) Jackson & Graham were established in London in 1836, they rose to prominence as makers of the highest quality in the 1850s until they ceased trading in 1885. After they exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, they came to international attention and acclaim, and their clients included Queen Victoria, the French Emperor Napoleon III, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Khedive at Cairo, and the Royal Palace in Siam.

a s h ell f orm h a rpi st stool A 19th Century Venetian Walnut Harpist’s Stool. On three cabriole legs ending in lions paw feet, with gilt decoration and central adjustable support. Italy, c.1860. Height 27 in (69 cm); width 16 ½ in ( 42 cm); depth 18 in (46 cm)

a p a i r o f j a pa n e se u n k ok u school s i x- pa n e l sc re e n s Signed Unkoku hokkyo Tojo hitsu, with two seals. Coloured pigments, gofun (pulverized oyster shell) and ink on a gold ground. Japan c.1680. eac h pa nel Height: 69 ½ in (176.5 cm; width: 24 in (61 cm)

The composition of both screens being read from right to left is of an imaginary landscape with flowering blossom on fantastical branches and the landscape suggested by blocks of green hills and shading of clouds and reflections in the gilded ground creating an abstract pattern as a foil for the natural realism of the spring flowers. Tojo, the son of Unkoku Toteki, was the fifth-

generation master of the Unkoku school. He received the honorary title, hokkyo, which he used in his signature, as here, on works completed between 1665 and 1712. proven a n c e Mori family, Japan From whom acquired 77

George III purple he a rt a n d t u li pw ood c rossb a n de d bon h e ur d u jou r A Very rare English Regency bonheur du jour. England, c.1815. Height: 42 ½ in (108 cm); width: 28 ½ in (72 cm); depth: 17 in (43 cm)

The upper section with two doors and central drawer above a lower section with two drawers and writing slide, standing on four elegant tapering legs with fielded panels and spade feet; the whole piece finely veneered with mahogany panels framed by satinwood crossbanding is inlaid with classical Wedgewood Jasper plaques of mythological and classical scenes. proven a n c e William Trevor at Grosvenor House Private collection (acquired from above)

a n e e d le w ork pa n e l A particularly fine early 18th century needlework panel retaining much of its original colouring. The idealized pastoral scene with animals in the foreground and Arcadian shepherds and shepherdesses behind a foliate canopy. Mounted with a craquele border and gilt frame. 82

England, c.1740. Overall 41 ½ in (105.4 cm); 27 5/8 in (70.2 cm)

a n ee dle w ork pa n e l A very fine early Regency needlework silk picture depicting an elaborate basket of flowers. The complex arrangement worked in fine detail retaining much of its original colouring, enclosed within a cracquele border and giltwood frame.

England, c.1815. Overall: 46 ½ in (118.1 cm); 34 5/8 (87.9 cm)

George III m ah og an y f o u r p e destal din in g tabl e

A very fine late 18th century George III mahogany four pedestal dining table, the top with superb colour and rich grain, each end section supported with a turned column on tripod reeded legs, the central sections on turned column and quadruped reeded legs, all terminating in brass castors: with three additional later leaves. England, c.1790. 84

Maximum Length: 17 ft 11 in (546 cm) Length of four pedestal sections (without leaves): 10 ft 9 in (328 cm)

en gli sh gla sswa re

Opposite, left to right: a large captain’s w ine gl ass England, c.1760. With an elegant ogee bowl on a tall, single-series opaque twist, over a turned round foot. Height 12 ¼ in (31 cm); diameter 3 in (7.6 cm)

a n e n gli s h captain’s gl ass England, c.1760. The bell-shaped bowl over a double twist opaque stem, standing on spread foot. Height 9 ¾ in (25 cm); diameter 3 ¾ in (9.5 cm)

a wi n e g lass England, c.1770. An elegant bellshaped bowl on a double series, three-colour twist stem, of opaque, green and maroon, standing on a conical foot. Height 6 in (15.3 cm); diameter 2 ½ in (6.4 cm)

a n e ar ly engl ish champ agne flu te England, c.1750. With a tapered bowl over a double air twist stem, standing on a folded foot. With label on base ‘A Churchill Glass’. Arthur Churchill opened his antique shop in 1908 on Brook Street and became known for antique glass. He was later joined in the 1920s by Wilfred Burne and Edward Haynes, who produced the famous Arthur Churchill ’Glass Notes’ in the 1940s. The business was later merged with AG Dixon Ltd.

a s w eetmeat g l a s s England, c.1760. A honeycomb moulded rounded and shaped bowl, over an opaque twist stem with conical folded foot. Height 6 ¼ in (16 cm); diameter 4 in (10.5 cm)

c a pta i n ’ s a l e g l a s s England, c.1760. With a tall tapering bowl on a double spiral opaque twist stem and conical domed foot. Height 10 ¼ in (26 cm); diameter 3 ½ in (8.9 cm)

a n ea rly e ng lish f a c o n d e vi n i s e w ine g la ss England, c.1670. The funnel bowl standing on a spiral moulded stem, ending in a spread foot. The glass probably made in the Duke of Buckingham’s Glasshouse at Vauxhall. The Duke of Buckingham established a number of workshops in London during the late 17th century, where high quality glass was produced for the first time in Britain, often employing Continental, (many Venetian) craftsman. Height 6 in (15.3 cm); diameter 3 in

Above, left to right:

(7.6 cm)

a b a l us ter w i n e g l a s s England, c.1710. The tapered funnel bowl standing on an inverted baluster stem with enclosed tear, terminating in a folded foot.

roun d ed w ine g la ss England, c.1755. With a shaped bowl and turned lip, over a baluster form stem with a double twist and a rounded, folded foot.

Height 7 ½ in (19 cm); diameter 3 ¼ in

Height 6 ¼ in (16 cm); diameter 4 in

(8.3 cm)

(10.5 cm)

Height 8 ½ in (21.5 cm); diameter 3 in (7.6 cm)

w i ne g lass England, c.1770. The simple tapered bowl over a single twist stem and a folded foot. Height 6 in (15.3 cm); diameter 3 in (7.6 cm)

Jacob van Ostayen still lif e Jacob van Ostayen (1617–1666) Still Life – Fruit Flowers Birds and Insects, 1641 signed and dated 1641 oil on copper 16.5 in (42 cm) × 22.4 in (57cm)

Carefully spread out in the centre of a wooden tabletop and beautifully arranged parallel to the picture plane, the composition showcases a range of natural objects on the one hand and man-made objects on the other. The two focal points of the essentially horizontally oriented composition are a Venetian glass with various flowers and a Chinese Wan Li bowl full of cherries.¹ They are complemented by a kingfisher on a branch of wild strawberries on the left, by individual flowers and insects in the middle and by a warbler standing on the edge of the porcelain bowl on the right. The latter turns around to look at a spider that hangs into the picture by its thread. The painting owes its particular charm to the attention with which the artist treats the smallest details: the small drops of water that slide down from a rose petal and over the table and the edge; the only tiny flower detached from a branch of forget-me-nots; the dragonfly, the ladybug, the spider and – an interesting detail – the fly between the artist’s signature and the date that the picture was created. As with other still lives from the Middelburg School the tension between naturalness and artificiality ² is a fascinating aspect of this work. Although every object in the picture is reproduced in the most natural way imaginable, the overall impression remains unreal, even surreal. This effect is ultimately due to the presence of living people and yet, enchanted by our presence, perhaps, attributed to birds and insects posing immobile in an interior space. It is obvious that such still life’s were not directly painted from nature. In fact, they were composed ³ on canvas (or a wooden or copper plate) based on watercolour studies or with the help of coloured illustrations in botanical and zoological handbooks. 90

By depicting a multitude of natural wonders in a single painting the artist invites the view to think about the power of the creator.⁴ At the same time, of course, he also invites us to marvel at the new creator of these miracles and his skill; the artist.

proven a n c e Dr M. Schmidheiny, Heerbrugg. Sinaia Collection. With David Wade Fine Art Ltd. Private collection, UK (acquired from the above). ex h i b i ti on s Basel, Kunstmuseum, Im Lichte Hollands, 14 June–27 September 1987, no.69. l i terature P. ten-Doesschate Chu and P. H. Boerlin, Basel, Im Lichte Hollands, Kunstmuseum, 1987, p.190 Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon, vol 7, p.487. A. van der Willigen and F. G.Meijer, A dictionary of Dutch and Flemish still-life painters working in oils: 1525–1725, 2003, (pp.155–156).

1 For collecting Chinese porcelain in Europe, see cat. No.4, note 4. 2 Allen Rosenbaum in Washington 1979–1981, s.130 3 See also Cat. No.4 4 The idea that the hand of God is visible even in the smallest objects

of creation – such as insects, drops of water, etc – was expressed, among others by the Dutch entomologist Jan Swammerdam, who wrote The almighty finger of God shows itself in anatomy the louse, in which one will find miracles, and one will be amazed at the God, which manifests itself in the smallest thing – quoted from Walford 1985, S.15

a p a i r of roya l f re n c h ath é n i e n n e s size of each Height: 38 ½ in (98 cm; diameter: 16 in (41 cm)

A pair of French Royal ormolu-mounted amboyna athéniennes. Attributed to François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter, early 19th century. Each of circular form with a later sunk white metal cylinder cache pot with a laurel finial, above a frieze with three drawers, on three tapering legs with a suspended rope netted basket, above an undertier, on a concave-sided plinth on block feet, with royal inventory brand of three fleur-de-lys below a crown. This pair of perfume-burner athéniennes are derived from a design by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine published in their influential handbook to fashionable interiors Recueil de décorations intérieures, 1812, pl.23. Percier and Fontaine’s Recueil successfully promulgated the ‘Empire style’ across the whole of fashionable Europe over the course of the first decade of the nineteenth century. Indeed, one of the known examples,

stamped by Jacob Freres, in the chateau de Fontainebleau was thought to have been supplied to the Chateau de St Cloud, ordered by the First Consul when it was refurbished in 1799, although the rooms may in fact later have been put at the disposal of the Empress Josephine. This pair is marked with the royal inventory brand in use after 1818. France, c.1810. proven a n c e A French royal palace, c.1818. Anonymous sale, Sotheby’s Monaco, 26 November 1979, lot 227. Private collection, France. Anonymous sale, Christie’s London, 12 December 2002, lot 85. Private collection, France.

a p a i r of i ri sh m a h oga n y pe at b u c k e ts One for peat and one for plates, of fine old colour retaining the original brass fittings and later tole liners. Ireland, c.1780. size of each Height: 15 ½ in (39 cm) Diameter 14 ½ in (37 cm)

a n i r i s h m a h oga n y pe at b u cket An Unusually Good Irish Ribbed Mahogany Peat Bucket Retaining its original brass fittings and later brass liner, in fine condition and good colour. Ireland, c.1790. Height 18 ½ in (47 cm) Diameter 16 in (41 cm)

a p a i r of f i n e ly f i gu re d s at i n wood a n d m a rqu e try c a rd ta b le s The tops with boxwood and harewood inlay depicting a central sunburst, surrounded by elaborate foliate and beribboned swags, supporting a central classical vase; retaining much of the original staining and finely burnt and engraved details, encased within a kingwood crossbanded border. The apron with classical kingwood panels and central bucrania, standing on elegant tapering legs ending on topie feet. England, c.1770. s i z e of eac h Height: 29 in (74 cm); width 28 ¾ in (49 cm); depth 19 ¼ in (99 cm)

a t i a n qi re d la c qu e r k a n g zh uo low ta b le China, c.1740. Height: 11 ½ (29.2 cm); width: 38 (96 cm); depth: 25 ½ (64cm)

In particularly fine condition, the central panel with flowering peonies within a bordered frame, having chrysanthemums all above a pierced frieze supporting on short curling legs and shaped apron with blossoming branches. Kang tables played an important part in Northern Chinese society where they were placed above heated 100

platforms to serve as desks or tea tables, often displaying flowers or incense burners. The Tianqi method, or infilled lacquer, consists of filling outlines with different colored lacquers, thereby defining the detailed decorative pattern as with the chrysanthemums and peonies on this table.

b i rd se ye vi e w of a n e n gli sh c ou n try e state England, c.1700. Image: 39 ½ in × 51 ½ in (100.33 × 130.81 cm) Framed: 49 × 60 ½ in (124.46 × 153.67 cm)

This large canvas probably depicts an idealized view of Cothele, Cornwall with the Tamar Valley below, and the town of Tavistock with Dartmoor behind in the distance. The original medieval manor was much improved

during the Tudor period which has survived relatively untouched to this date. Although the family’s second house, Cothele was visited by George III and Queen Charlotte in the 1780s. 101

102

103

a n i m po r ta n t ré ge n c e f re nch c a r v ed g i ltw ood c e n tre ta ble wi t h exce pti on a l f lore n tine Pietra Dure top The top: Florence, Gallerie dei Lavori of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, c.1729. The base: France, c.1730. Height: 34 ¼ in (87 cm); width: 44 in (112 cm); depth 37 ½ 8 in (95.5 cm)

The top, richly inlaid with semi-precious stones has eight concave sides closed by a gilt bronze border with pods, pearls and leaves on the edges. The black paragone marble background is centred by a triumph of various fruits surrounded by insects; from the centre issue, towards the smaller sides, pairs of dolphins with intertwined tails and the body with two-coloured scales. They are separated by birds on scrolls that spread out into tendrils with flowers of different kinds. The carved and gilded wooden support has four curved feet around which scaly maritime creatures or dolphins wrap around; the frieze is made up of foliate scrolls centred on the four sides by medallions with a starry or shell motif. The latter reappears in centre of the short crossbar.

Alvar González-Palacios opined in his 2002 essay, that ‘this semi-precious stone top must be considered one of the most significant works, hitherto unpublished, in the Gallerie dei Lavori of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. From a stylistic point of view, it belongs to the end of the Medici regime and is in any case later in date than the table with dolphins made to a design by Giovanni Battista Foggini in 1716.¹ In that work the same ornamental element appears that we see in ours: dolphins, surmounted in that case by lapis lazuli balls with the golden lilies of the French crown. First of all, it should not be forgotten that the Medici had close contacts with the royal family of France (Caterina de’ Medici married Henry II and Maria de’Medici Henry IV while Marguerite Louise, daughter 104

of the brother of Louis XIII, Gaston d’Orléans, got married in 1661 to the penultimate Grand Duke, Cosimo III). The dolphin motif was particularly dear to the later Medici. In Palazzo Pitti, in addition to the semiprecious stone top from 1716, two tables each supported by four dolphins with a particularly marked movement are still preserved: these were made in 1722 by the engraver Alessandro Patriarchi. A large showcase (known at the time as the amber scarabattola) made by Anton Francesco Gonnelli in 1728, is instead supported by coupled dolphins.² Already at that time, after the death of Cosimo III in 1723, the activity of the Galleria dei Lavori began to reduce, a process which further

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slowed in 1725 following the death of Giovanni Battista Foggini (born in 1652) who for many years had directed the various Grand Ducal workshops of which he had been the main supplier of drawings. However, all this does not imply that the quality of the products declined because it was precisely at that time that one of the factory’s masterpieces was completed, the Badminton Cabinet, commissioned by the Duke of Beaufort and executed between 1726 and 1732.³ Many features of our work (birds, insects, flowers and scrolls that seem typical expressions of Foggini’s taste) are found in older works, as is usual in Florence, where there is always a strong sense of tradition. The sumptuous pile of fruit that centres our table, for example, dates back to the seventeenth century: a pair of floors divided between the Hermitage Museum and Rosenborg Castle, in Copenhagen, is an undoubted precedent of our composition.⁴ On the other hand, the structural shape of our top, not rectangular or square but closed by eight curved sides, seems to be of a new model, certainly later than the already mentioned table of 1716 or the one donated to the King of Denmark in 1709.⁵ A group of tables that have similar shapes to ours can be dated to the beginning of the Lorraine Regency (1729–1737), following the death of the last Grand Duke. There are four marbles whose dating remains uncertain but which, with the utmost prudence, must have been executed before the middle of the century. They have already been published by the author and are in Vienna, and probably belonged to the consort of Maria Theresa, the Emperor Francis Stephen of Lorraine, the new Grand Duke of Tuscany as the legitimate successor of the Medici.⁶ These tops, with a complex and very exuberant design, have a background of black Belgian marble, used for more than a century in Florence, and an impeccable execution, with a formal richness that is still Baroque. Their profile can no longer be defined as rectangular as it adopts showy rounding that can approach the shape of our masterpiece. We must repeat that the dating of these last works remains uncertain for now not only because the second quarter of the eighteenth century in Florence is little known in this field but also because it is known that many works were made in the Gallery and put in storage until it was deemed appropriate assign them to a permanent location. Older panels were used in the Duke of Beaufort’s cabinet, one of which, the central one, is dated 1720 on the back, six years before the Duke ordered his piece of furniture.⁷ The dolphins that decorate the magnificent top examined here are ornamental figures that are found on other 106

eighteenth-century works destined for the Medici court, here, in the whole of this table, there are other elements that allow us to date it with greater accuracy. The delicately carved foot on which the Florentine top rests is of French manufacture; indeed it can be compared to some drawings studied by Bruno Pons and dated by him around 1730 and attributed to Mathieu Legoupil. The latter, a member of a dynasty of sculptors and carvers active for the court, was sculpteur des bâtiments du Roy. In our support, the volute legs are enriched with figures of stylized dolphins and a dense interweaving of naturalistic elements that have many similarities with some projects by Legoupil preserved in a notebook of drawings in Berlin. All these circumstances cannot be accidental. Recalling that the Dauphin, son of Louis XV, was born in 1729, it does not seem rash to hypothesise that this sumptuous work was intended for him. On the other hand, it fits perfectly with the prevailing style in both Florence and Paris at that time. Under Louis XIV the taste for semiprecious stones led first Mazarin and then the Sun King himself to establish at the Gobelins a factory with stonemasons sent by post from Florence which remained alive until the time of the birth of the Dauphin (1728–1729). About twenty years later, however, this type of furniture began to go out of fashion to the point that some of them were sent to Buffon, Intendant of the Jardin Royal not for their artistic importance but for their naturalistic interest. In the following years many masterpieces were destroyed or sold, among which the two cabinets with the figures of Louis XIV stand out, now belonging to the Duke of Northumberland in Alnwick.⁸ It is probable that the table examined here was also alienated in those same years.’ 1, K. Lankheit, Florentinische Barockplastik, Munich, 1962, doc.625 and p.65. See also The Last Medici, exhibition catalogue, Florence, 1974, cat. 200; AM Giusti in The Chapel of the Princes, Florence 1979, cat.79. 2, E. Colle, The furniture of Palazzo Pitti. The Medici period, Florence, 1997, nn.51–52. 3, A. Gonzalez-Palacios, Il Gusto dei Principi, Milan, 1993, pp.419–432. 4, E. Efimova, West European Mosaic, Leningrad, 1968, n.13; the top in Rosenborg Castle (neg. 3289 group Eb inventory 21-116) is unpublished. A pair of tables belonging to Cardinal Mazarin is similar to this typology, one of which is kept in the Louvre and the second appeared in

an auction of Sotheby’s, Monaco, 15 June 1996, lot.181 with a note by the writer who published in his own volume Il Gusto dei Principi, Milan, 1993, I, pp.29–41, the table in the Louvre and one that belonged to Cardinal Barberini and others of the same type. 5, A. Gonzalez-Palacios, Il tempio del Gusto, Milan, 1986, figs.132–133 6, Ibid., figs.277–281 7, This date only appeared when the large piece of furniture was disassembled: A. Gonzalez-Palacios, op.cit. in footnote 3, p.426. 8, A. Gonzalez-Palacios, op.cit. a note 3, chapter ‘The Florentines of the Sun King’, p.39

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en gli s h wa ln ut h a ll b e n ch A fine walnut bench, after a design by Thomas Chippendale. England, c.1840. Height 45½ in (116 cm); width 81 in (206 cm);

The intricate shaped back splats and carved top rail closely emulate a design by Chippendale for a painted garden bench at Harewood House. The top rail is flanked by fluted pilasters supporting scrolled arms above a reeded seat rail all standing on elegant tapering fluted legs ending in spayed feet. The whole of a good colour and petina.

depth: 26 in (66 cm)

proven a n c e By repute from the Chatsworth estate.

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George III stri n g i n la i d d ru m de sk England, 1780. Height: 26 in (66.04 cm, diameter: 27 in (68.58cm)

Of elegant, small size, with antiqued green leather top and alternating and fitted drawers, supported by single turned gun-barrel stem and four tapering legs, ending in their original casters all of a particularly good patina with boxwood stringing.

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a Louis XVI orm olu , pat i n at e d b ron ze , polyc hro mepa i n t e d a nd w h i te m a rb le c l ock The original movement with two train going barrel anchor recoil escapement, pendulum silk suspension, count wheel striking on a bell, calendar hand of blued steel, hour and minute hand of gilded brass, the central lyre-form case headed by a jasper figural medallion and with clock face flanked by paired seated griffins on an incurved painted plinth mounted with jasperware portrait medallions, the works signed Cronier a Paris. France, c.1785. Height: 28 ½ inches, width: 21 ½ inches, depth: 7 ½ inches

This elegant mantel clock, with its combination of proud guardian griffins, classical Wedgwood plaques and arabesque painted decoration, exemplifies the gout étrusque of the 1780s as promoted by the fashionable marchands-merciers of Paris, notably Dominique Daguerre. It was almost certainly acquired by Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen and his wife Marie-Christine of Habsburg, who were joint Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1780–1792, and built a lavish palace as their summer residence at Laeken near Brussels between 1782–1784, designed by the French architect Charles de Wailly, which they furnished in the latest fashion. It is known that the Saxe-Teschens visited Paris in August 1786 to visit Marie-Christine’s sister, Marie-Antoinette,

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who organized a party for them at the Trianon. While in Paris they received gifts from Louis XVI of a porcelainmounted table and a suite of Gobelins tapestries of the Don Quixote series, They also visited Daguerre’s shop in August 1786 to help furnish their spectacular new château. Daguerre was of course the Queen’s favorite dealer, and indeed a celebrated album of drawings of furniture and objets d’art (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Esmerian bequest), is thought to be a form of sale catalogue of produced by Daguerre for the SaxeTeschens. The link to Daguerre for this clock is strengthened through the presence of the Wedgwood plaques, as from 1787 he became Wedgwood’s exclusive agent and sole importer of these fashionable wares in Paris.

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The Saxe-Teschen’s and the Chateau de Laecken Albert of Saxe-Teschen was a passionate art collector and his collection of prints and drawings, now housed in the Albertina Palace, Vienna, remains one of the most important in the world. In 1781 he was appointed Governor of the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium), and he immediately started building a stately residence in Brussels. Known as Schoonenberg in the 18th century, this spectacular neo-classical palace, more than 80 meters in width, was designed by the fashionable architect Charles de Wailly with interiors by Gilles Paul Cauvet. The central domed grand salon was circular, and the curved back of this clock could indicate that it was therefore supplied for one of the white marble fireplaces of this curved room. The dazzling richness of the furnishings was reflected by a contemporary visitor who in 1786 described ‘ un nombre infini de bronzes excellents, comme aussi en pendules de tout genre, en fauteuils riches et somptueux, en chenets… c’est le palais le plus riche, le mieux meublé de ceux qui existent dans les pays circonvoisins…’ The Saxe-Teschen’s were forced to flee Brussels in 1792 as a result of the upheavals of the French revolution and returned to Vienna where the Emperor Francis II offered them the Albertina palace as a residence where they were able to house their fabulous collection of paintings, furniture and works of art. 112

The couple died childless, and the collection was inherited by their nephew and adopted son Archduke Charles of Austria. Schoonenburg was subsequently purchased by the Emperor Napoleon in 1804 who renamed it the Palais. proven a n c e Almost certainly supplied c.1786 to Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen (1738–1822) and his wife Archduchess Marie-Christine of Habsburg (1742–1798) for the château de Laecken. Almost certainly removed to the Albertina Palace, Vienna c.1794. Thence by descent to their nephew and adopted son Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen (1771–1847). By descent to his son Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen (1817–1895). By descent to his nephew Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen (1856–1936), from whose collection sold Albert Kende auction house, Vienna, 10 February 1933, lot 45. Anonymous sale; Christie’s, Monaco, 12 December 1999, lot 918. With Jeremy, London. Private collection (acquired from the above); sale, Christies New York, 24 October 2017, lot 38. Private collection, New York (acquired at the above sale).

a p a i r of re ge n c y m o n u m e n ta l c a rve d gi lt w ood pi e r m i rrors England, c.1805. each Height: 89 in (226.06 cm); width: 66 in (167.64 cm)

Of rectangular architectural form retaining their original plates, with egg-and-dart moulded cornice and leaf-tip frieze above a lintel carved with a relief of a classical vase flanked by scrolling gryphons, surrounded above and on the sides by reeded three-quarter columns with lotus-leaf capitals and joined by rosette-carved blocks.

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th e powderh am c arpet A George III Axminster Carpet, Thomas Whitty. England, c.1798. 521 in (1,323 cm); 225 in (572 cm)

Woven with a central rectangular panel flanked by smaller rectangular panels, the central medallion containing a variety of musical instruments, including a drum, mandolin, cello, harps and flutes, all in shades of beige and brown and interspersed with swags of flowers and ribbons, the medallion is embraced by crossed palm fronds, and at each corner of the central panels are baskets of roses, petunias and other flowers, including roses, tulips, primroses and columbine, the whole laid on a rose pink ground scattered with deeper rose foliage and flowers, the broad border is in palest blue decorated with sprays of leave and flowers.

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Originally commissioned for the Music Room at Powderham Castle, this extraordinary carpet exemplifies the artistic ambition and technical virtuosity of the Axminster manufactory from the golden age of English carpet weaving. The best known and most successful carpet weaving workshops in England were the looms established at Axminster in Devon by Thomas Whitty in 1755, which produced some of the most sophisticated and sought-after floor coverings of the 18th century. Whitty (1713–1792), an energetic weaver of cloth, recognized the growing demand for carpets among the aristocracy and wealthy merchant classes during the second half of the 18th century. Inspired by popular ‘Turkey Carpets’, selftaught Whitty set out to make hand-knotted seamless carpets on a large upright loom. Axminster carpets were quickly recognized as the best English produced carpets available, with Whitty winning prizes for carpet weaving by the Society of Arts in 1757, 1758 and 1759. Further appreciation is illustrated by a royal visit from George III in 1783, the commissioning of carpets by the Prince of Wales, as well as commissions from the leading architectural designers of the day such as James Wyatt and Robert Adam. The Powderham Axminster commissioned during a period of expressive architectural endeavour at Powderham – under the patronage of William ‘Kitty’ Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon – was conceived as the crowning element of the Music Room, a space designed by James Wyatt for performance, display, and refined entertainments. Its design, steeped in the neoclassical idiom popularised by Robert Adam, complemented the architectural detailing of the room, mirroring its ceiling decoration and echoing its

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symmetry, classical motifs, and soft-toned palette. The present carpet has a tri-partite format with decorative end panels enclosing and surrounded by floral bouquets and leafy scrolls. The central medallion contained within the middle section is flanked by crossed palm fronds. At the time of its delivery, the Powderham carpet was widely believed to have been the largest Axminster ever produced – an accolade it retained until the Prince Regent, reputedly in a spirit of aristocratic rivalry, commissioned an even more monumental example for Brighton Pavillion. This reflects a moment in which English decorative arts were at their most opulent and competitive. The survival of such a carpet – of immense scale, superlative craftsmanship, and impeccable provenance – is extraordinarily rare. Its first time appearance on the market offers collectors and institutions a singular opportunity to acquire a work that stands at the intersection of textile artistry, architectural history, and aristocratic patronage, embodying the grandeur and refinement of late Georgian England. proven a n c e William, 3rd Viscount Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon, 1798, for the Music Room, Powderham Castle; The Earls of Devon, by descent l i terature Bertram Jacobs, Axminster Carpets 1755–1957, Leighon-Sea, 1970, p.47, ill’ fronticepiece and pl.49. ‘Powderham Castle III’, Mark Girouard, Country Life, July 18th 1963, Vol. CXXXIV, p.140

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a n extr em ely f in e Louis XVI g iltwood maison a c h ien France, c.1775. Height: 17 ½ in (44.5 cm); width: 11 ¾ in (29.8 cm); depth: 11 ¾ in (29.8 cm)

The beech frame with carved wood and gesso foliate rope twist detailing below stylised finials. This neoclassical dog bed is very similar to that created by Claude I Sené for Marie Antoinette with slightly more elaborate detailing and ornamental neoclassical motifs. The whole luxuriously upholstered in a dark blue velvet, both inside and out. p rov enanc e By repute, created for Marie Antoinette Kraemer & Cie, Paris. Private Collection, US

Jacques-Barthelemy Delamarre (French 19th Century). Portrait of a small poodle, said to be Pompon, a beloved dog of Marie Antoinette. Photo: Dreweatts.

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M A L L ET T Harry Smith, Chairman Henry Neville, Director Andrea Sebastian, Director Design: Richard Ardagh Studio Photography: PJ Gates Photography Ltd. Jonathan Stokes Research Text and Provenance: Rufus Bird lvo Printing: Park Communications

Mallett is a division of the Gurr Johns Group which offers a broad range of art market services to a worldwide clientele, with offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Palm Beach and Paris. www.gurrjohns.com

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opposite Jacob van Ostayen Still Life, detail (p.88) back cover: George I Gilt-Gesso Side Table (p.22)

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