mallett

141 New Bond Street London W1S 2BS929 Madison Avenue at 74th Street New York 10021

Mallett Spring 09:235 4/20/09 10:34 AM Page 1

Mallett Spring 09:235 4/20/09 3:55 PM Page 2

L O N D O N M A L L E T T N E W Y O R K

Over the last twelve months, the world has seen unprecedented changes of prices and values in all markets, both national and international. Whether stocks and shares,property or commodities, the volatility has surprised even the most experiencedprofessionals. This has been no different for the art market, where both volume andprices have been considerably reduced, particularly during the last quarter of 2008, and the early trading period of the new year.

Yet, recently, the extraordinary news from both of the major auction houses illustrates a different story, with frenzied crowds creating record prices, even for pieces acquiredwithin recent memory. The sales of the Versace and Yves St. Laurent collections obtainedastonishing prices across all disciplines, achieving more than 4 and 5 times the presaleestimates respectively. The Yves St. Laurent collection has become the largest grossingsingle owner sale in history. Many of the most sought after pieces in both sales wereworks of decorative art, and not only the traditionally highly prized paintings.

This excitement and enthusiasm in the art market has not been confined solely to the fully exploited marketing employed by the auction houses. It is something we haverecently experienced at the dealers’ great showcase in Maastricht. Here, enormous sumswere achieved and quantities of sales were confirmed to a collecting public, driven atspeed towards acquiring tangible assets, that are being seen as realistic in value and a safe haven for astute collectors. The Mallett stand at this fair had more visitors in the first two days than at any earlier exhibition, and the sales achieved far exceededexpectations.

I am very pleased to offer in this catalogue, furniture and objects that have always beenconsidered ‘best in class’. We are now even more focused on giving you, our clients, goodvalue when you purchase from us, while remaining equally committed to our traditionalphilosophy of living with items of beauty.

Giles Hutchinson Smith

Chief Executive


4 A GEORGE III MAHOGANYSECRETAIRE PRESS

An important George IIImahogany secretaire press byGillows of Lancaster. The upperpart is fitted with trays of cedarwood, the secretaire desk drawerfitted with pigeonholes andfurther small drawers and secretvertical drawers carved withblind fret. These flank a centralcupboard or ‘prospect’ decoratedwith quartered feather veneersthat slides out revealing furthersecret compartments at the rear,the base section consisting oftwo short and one long drawer.The two doors having centre-matched veneers of the finestquality and applied carvedmouldings, the cornice finishedwith carved blind fret, resting on ogee bracket feet. The brasshandles, drops and escutcheonswith peacock design all original.England, circa 1765

Height: 901/2in (230cm)Width: 561/2in (143cm)Depth: 28in (71cm)

PROVENANCE

Made for John France Jn. ofRawcliffe Hall, Lancashire

The secretaire press was recentlyrevealed in Susan Stuart’sextensive monograph on the history of the Gillowsfirm, active from 1730-1840. This firm has come out from theshadows in the last two decades.Thanks to numerous articles and Lindsay Boynton’s book of Gillows Designs, along withSusan Stuart’s new book, we now appreciate the vast scale of their production and theirlong and distinguished history.

The family firm wasestablished in Lancaster as earlyas the 1730’s. Throughout theeighteenth century, a successionof Robert and Richard Gillowsworked for and controlled thefirm. Their success really beganin 1769, when they opened their first London office. Noblecommissions came and in 1800,Richard Gillows took over apatent for an extending diningtable which further enhancedthe firm’s reputation. The historyof Gillows is exceptionallycomplete, as nearly all the orderbooks and salesman’s archivesstill exist. We know that thepractice of stamping GILLOWS.LANCASTER started in around1780 and continued until 1817.

Today, it is difficult tocomprehend the range ofGillows’ business at this time.They traded not only in finishedfurniture, but also in timber fromthe West Indies along with sugarand spirits from the same region.They undertook architecturaljoinery and fitted out entirebuildings, providing wall papers,fixtures and fittings. Theirsalesmen toured the countrywith books of illustrationslavishly coloured to temptbuyers. Gilllows even pioneered‘flat-packing’ in order to offertheir clients a reduced price.There was no corner of thefurniture trade they did notthoroughly exploit. Between1780 and 1830, they were thefurniture trade, leading in price,fashion and even work practices.

Interestingly, the discoveryof this piece also allowed Mallettto attribute with security to Gillows firm a very finemahogany bureau bookcase fromour stock, illustrated in Mallett’sSpring catalogue of 2008. Thesimilarities, both stylistically andin terms of construction, areobvious being the flamedmahogany veneers with thesame applied serpentine shaped

mouldings, same blind Chinesefretwork and the ogee feet themore blatant features.

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A GEORGE II ARMCHAIR

A George II giltwood libraryarmchair being carvedthroughout with acanthus leafand scroll motifs, the elaborateapron centred by a shell, the seat raised on cabriole legs withfurther acanthus motifs andending in scroll toes, the paddedback and seat now upholsteredwith green silk damask.England, circa 1755

Height: 361/2in (93cm)Height of seat: 15in (39cm)Width: 271/2in (70cm)Depth: 28in (71cm)

One of the aspects of Mallett’s business that makes us particularly proud is the fact that we often get theopportunity to offer things we have owned in the past. This fine armchair is an example of this. See theadvertisement on the right from Country Life from 1962.

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A PAIR OF GEORGE IIDOLPHIN TABLES

A pair of George II giltwood sidetables, each with its originalmarble top above a mouldedfrieze carved with a stylized leaf and dart repeat. The topssupported on pairs of addorseddolphins flanking large scallopshells. The inverted breakfrontplinths are carved with avariation of the leaf and dartmotif on the frieze.England, 1735

Width: 41in (104 cm) Depth: 22in (55 cm) Diameter: 33in (83cm)

William Kent’s role in introducingand popularizing the motif ofpaired dolphins with scallopshells seems indisputable, and no comparable designs surviveby any other contemporaryEnglish artist. Moreover, the two artisans associated with the production of carved dolphindesigns, James Richards andBenjamin Goodison, both haddirect links with Kent andBurlington, which again points to Kent as the common source.Although, on the evidencecurrently available, the maker of these tables cannot be firmlyidentified, the present tablesbear clear similarities with Kent’s designs, James Richards’sdocumented work and critically,the quality of Richards’s work.

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�A FINE PAIR OF GEORGEIII PAINTED BERGÈRES

An important pair of George IIIpainted bergères armchairs inthe French Louis XV style, afterdesigns by Thomas Chippendale,the tub-shaped backrests carvedwith neo-classical decorationincluding paterae and husks,having moulded armrestsfinishing in scroll supports,standing on fluted, tapering legs with leaf carving.England, circa 1775

Height: 381/2in (98cm) Height of seat: 20in (50cm)Width: 271/2in (70cm) Depth: 191/2in (50cm)

PROVENANCE

Moccas Court, Herefordshire

These important bergères,retaining much of their originalpainted decoration, were almostcertainly supplied by ThomasChippendale to Sir George(Amyand) Cornewall for MoccasCourt, Herefordshire. TheCornewalls were neighbours of the banker John Martin whohad commissioned ThomasChippendale to supply furniturefor his nearby house, Ham Court,including a library table formerlyin the collection of Edmond Safra (Sotheby’s sale - HSBC’sCorporate Art Collection, 21October, 2004, lot 34.) It is certainly possible that the

present bergères were suppliedby Chippendale as they shareaffinities with his known oeuvre.A pair of bergères from the Great Drawing Room at BurtonConstable in Yorkshire isillustrated, C. Gilbert, TheAntiques Magazine,‘Chippendale’s patron inYorkshire’, pp. 322-3, pl. XVII.Although more elaborate thanthe present bergères, they havetub-shaped backrests centeredby carved decoration andcontinuing to moulded armrestsfinished in scrolled supports. The leaf-carved fluted legs withreeded ball feet are similar to a pair of bergères supplied byChippendale for the drawingroom at David Garrick’s house in Royal Adelphi Terrace, C.Gilbert, The Life and Work ofThomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 98, fig. 160.

Moccas Court was designedby the architect Anthony Keck(1726-1797) for Sir George(Amyand) Cornewall Bt. whomarried the heiress CatherineCornewall in 1771. TheCornewalls were an ancientHerefordshire family and herfather’s will stipulated that his daughter’s husband adopt the family name and arms ofCornewall. The Amyands wereProtestant refugees after theRevocation of the Edict ofNantes in 1685 and Sir Georgewas wealthy in his own right,having inherited property inEngland and the West Indies,

as well as a fortune of £158,000.Sir George had originallycommissioned the Adambrothers in 1775 to design thehouse but instead used AnthonyKeck, who completed the housein 1783. Keck had an extensivepractice in the West Midlands,appearing to have been theleading architect in the counties of Gloucestershire,Worcestershire andHerefordshire from 1770-1790.

His most prestigious countryhouse projects were at MoccasCourt, Herefordshire, PenriceAbbey, Glamorgan and theorangery at Margam Abbey inthe same county. As NicholasKingsley, Country Life, ‘Modellingin the Provinces, the Work ofAnthony Keck’, October 20 and27, 1988, p. 140, remarks ‘Withinhis houses, he relied on theproportion and shape of roomsand on exquisitely under-statedAdamesque decoration, to createan abiding and almost Regencyelegance’, continuing that he‘was remarkably quick not only to copy the Adam manner, but to establish a simplified versionof it which suited both the lower temperature of his ownarchitecture and the shallowerpockets of his provincial clients’.

LITERATURE

Lanto Synge, Great EnglishFurniture, (Barrie & Jenkins, 1991,London), pp. 162 and 164

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A GEORGE III SHAGREENTELESCOPE

A late 18th century gilt brassand shagreen cased four inchreflecting telescope, signed‘Dolland London’ by the eyepiece, with a slow motion screw on the adjustableshagreen cased barrel, supported on a turned brass column with folding tripod legs.England, circa 1780

Height: 141/2in (36cm)Length: 17in (44cm)

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14 A DEMI-LUNE CONSOLEJARDINIERE

An unusual, small-sized Empiremahogany side table, standing onfour columnar legs, with a mirrorback plate and a white marble top. The legs are supported at the base with stretchers in starform and they contain a shelf as a jardinière. The mirror back platecan be raised. The whole piece isenriched with fine quality ormolumounts; the larger panels of neo-classical charioteers with cupidsand the smaller figuresrepresenting a young couple in gardening pursuits.France, circa 1810

Height: 45in (113.5cm)Width: 21in (53.5cm)Depth: 14in (36cm)

PROVENANCE 'By repute EugèneRose de Beauharnais'

Eugène Rose de Beauharnais wasthe first child and only son of thefuture French emperor Napoleon'sfirst wife, Joséphine Tascher de laPagerie and Alexandre, Vicomtede Beauharnais.

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A SILVER EPERGNE OF PAGODA FORM

A fine architectural six branchepergne of pagoda form withseven glass baskets, the finialcast as a classical figure. Made byJoseph Preedy of London in 1802.Some glass dishes replaced.England, circa 1802

Height: 26in (66cm)Width: 34in (86cm)Depth: 30in (77cm)

Son of the Rev. Benjamin Preedyof St. Albans in the County ofHertford, Joseph Preedy wasapprenticed to Thomas Whipham2 October 1765 and turned over9 June 1766 to William Plummerof Gutter Lane who was agoldsmith and cloth-worker. His first mark as a plate-worker is dated 3 February 1777 fromWestmoreland Buildings,Aldersgate Street. His secondmark was identified inpartnership with William Pitts on 11 January 1791 from the

following address: LitchfieldStreet, St. Ann’s, 3 August 1795.

The partnership wasapparently dissolved by 21December 1799 when Pittsentered a single mark. Healrecords all the above addressesand dates, and also Preedy alonein Litchfield Street in 1791, theyear of the commencement ofthe partnership with Pitts.

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17AN EMPIRE COMMODE

A fine quality Empire four drawercommode. Each face is veneeredin richly figured flame mahoganyand the sides are flanked byboldly carved bowing swanpilasters and at the back finelycarved square columns. Thecommode retains its original giltbronze handles and escutcheons.With replaced marble top.Attributed to Bellangé.France, circa 1810

Height: 36in (92cm) Width: 53in (135cm) Depth: 22in (56cm)

Pierre Bellangé was born in 1758and became a ‘maitre menuisier’in 1788. He managed to survivesuccessfully and even flourishthrough the turbulent times ofthe end of the ‘ancien regime’through the Revolution and the Empire to end his days in the exalted position of being‘ebeniste du Roi’ to Louis-Philippe in 1844. Throughout his career his work was alwayssought after and he seems tohave enjoyed a life free from the usual turmoil of bankruptcyor worse that afflicted most ofhis generation. With immaculatetiming he moved into‘ebenisterie’ when merely beinga ‘menuisier’ did not suffice andhe made partnerships with equalskill. If we look back on his careerwe see that he held a positionamongst the front ranks of thosewho fashioned the decorativearts of the early 19th century.

Bellangé worked for theImperial household as well as

for the Restoration monarchy, when he furnished ChâteauSaint-Ouen for Madame duCayla, Louis XVIII’s mistress. His most famous commissioncame from the President JamesMonroe, for a suite of furniturefor the White House, which partis still in loco in the Blue Room.Pieces by Bellangé can be viewed at Versailles, MuseumMarmottan and Chateau deCompiègne National Museum.

The attribution of thiscommode to Bellangé is based on the use of the swan motifwhich the ébeniste so oftenemployed and which was apersonal emblem of Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s firstwife. The use of dense grain of mahogany and the strongsharp carving are also commonfeatures throughout his careerand which are well exemplified in this unstamped commode.

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19J. STEVEN DEWS (BORN 1949)

The Fife Regatta on the Clyde

Signed bottom leftPainted in June 1998Oil on canvasUnframed: 40 x 60in (101.5 x 152.5cm)Framed: 461/2 x 66in (118 x 167.6cm)

Steven Dews is probablyEngland’s most respectedcontemporary marine artist. He was born in Beverley, NorthHumberside, in 1949 and hisformal training was taken in the north of England. Dews’ work is meticulous in its detailand observation of the naturalsurroundings and this perceptionand understanding hasdeveloped through his personallove of sailing and the sea. Hisreputation has grown rapidlyover the past few years, mainlythrough the work he hasundertaken as the official artist of many of the world’smajor yachting events.

His work has an internationalappeal and he has received manycommissions throughout theworld including those from largecorporations such as BP andAmoco. So great is the demandfor his commission works in factthat at present there is a threeyear waiting list. As a result ofthis waiting list and the slowspeed at which Dews works,relatively few of his originalworks are currently available on the open market.

This outstanding painting of the Fife Regatta conveys themajesty of the golden age of sail. The regatta was held on theClyde in June 1998 and was thelargest gathering of the yachtsdesigned by the William FifeYard. Twelve yachts took partincluding Moonbeam (seen in

the foreground of this painting),an 82 foot yawl built for Mr C.Johnson in 1903. Her interestinglife included French ownershipprior to the First World Warduring which she was rumouredto have been used by the FrenchResistance. After the war she hada brief period of being laid upprior to being put into service asa charter yacht following anextensive re-fit. Her ownershipchanged in the mid-1980’s andshe is now Norwegian owned.

Passing astern of Moonbeamis Kentra. Built as a cruisingyacht for Kenneth Clark ofAcharacle in 1923, she had anoverall length of 100 feet andwas of solid construction with ahigh level of fittings below deckssuitable for gentleman’s cruising.Her first season was spentcruising the west coast ofScotland, after which she wassold to Charles Livingstonewhose family owned the CunardShipping Line. Her later historyinvolved many changes ofownership where she has servedas a trusted charter yacht in many parts of the world.

The oldest of the yachts atthe regatta was Vagrant, a smalltwo ton racing yacht 18 feet onthe waterline. Built in 1884 forThomas Trocke to race in DublinBay, she was a perfect exampleof ‘plank on edge’ design greatlyover canvassed with an overalllength of 22 feet, only five feetwide and with a 15 foot

bowsprit. This type of yacht soonbecame obsolete and the DublinBay class ceased racing. Vagrantremained in Irish waters,eventually being laid up nearDun Laoghaire. In 1979 Hal Sisk, Chairman of the NationalMaritime Museum of Ireland,discovered her and undertookpainstaking restoration at theJack Tyrell Yard at Arklow (thesame yard that built Gipsy Mothfor Sir Francis Chichester). Tocelebrate her 100th birthday, she was sailed back across theIrish Sea where she joined thefleet of the preserved boat atthe Scottish Maritime Museum.

The History of the Fife Yardand the yachts they createdserves to document the rise ofyachting as a royal sport. TheIndustrial Revolution broughtabout a population with greaterleisure time and vastly increasedwealth. With this wealth came adesire to move out of the smog-filled cities, and numerous villassprang up along the shores ofthe Clyde estuary for use in thesummer months. Time spent in these villas encouraged thewealthy to take to the water and yachting soon became apassion of many of the greatindustrialists: with this came the development of smart clubs with active racing.

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21AN UNUSUALOCCASIONAL TABLE

A Charles X rosewood occasionaltable of square shape, the topinlaid with a running border of leaves, the frieze having four drawers with turned ivory knobs and boxwood stringing,the central section with elegantturned columns and Gothicarches supported by a piercedbase with trefoils and cusps,standing on gilt-slippered feet with original castors.Attributed to A. Giroux et CieFrance, circa 1825

Height: 29in (74cm)Width: 251/2in (65cm)Depth: 251/2in (65cm)

Gothic buildings were a majorsource of inspiration for 19thCentury designers, who adaptedkey architectural elements tofurniture design. This is evidenthere in the pointed arches of the table’s central section, andthe delicate leaf tracery on the table top. The gilt-slippered feet are extremely unusual,clearly drawing upon MiddleEastern influences.

A. Giroux et Cie. was afamous Parisian magasin locatedat number 7, rue de Coq-SaintHonoré, being active fromConsulat period until the end of the Second Empire. Francois-Simon-Alphonse Giroux startedand ran this business from 1799,which sold curious pieces

for gifts, objets d’art but alsodrawings, pictures and prints. Histwo sons, Alphonse-Gustave andAndre, soon joined him and theycontinued the business after thefounder’s retirement in 1838.

A. Giroux et Cie. was mainly a retailer but they had their own workshops where theymade some of their objects andfurniture. Other products weremade elsewhere following theiroriginal designs. In 1827 theypublished Catalogue del’exposition d’une varieté d’objetsutiles et agréables offerts pour lesétrennes - a catalogue of objectsto be given as gifts forChristmas. From the Girouxcatalogues, such as this one,Louis XVIII and Charles X would

choose gifts for the youngPrinces, Princess Louise and the Duc de Bordeaux.

A Giroux labelled rosewoodworked box with marquetrydecoration and with a relatedfour post structure and similargilt-slippered feet is illustrated in Ledoux-Lebard, Denise – LeMobilier Francais du XIXe Siécle,(Paris, L’Editions d’Amateur,1984), page 227.

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A GLASS MODEL OF A SHIP IN A DOME

A good example of a lamp-workglass boat made out of green,white and clear thin glass rods.The main ship has three mastsand six blue and white glasssailors in the rigging. The shiphas suspended from its sidesthree lifeboats. Before the main ship are two small luggers in turquoise, white and clearwith red sails.England, circa 1880

Height: 18in (46cm)Width: 25in (63cm)Depth: 101/2in (27cm)

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22 JOHN MANSFIELDCREALOCK (1871-1959)

The Yellow Sofa

Oil on canvasUnframed: 511/2 x 381/2in (130.8 x 97.2cm) Framed: 601/2 x 47in (153 x 119.4cm)

Signed and dated ‘John Crealock1912’ (lower right) and furthersigned and dated ‘JohnCrealock/1912’ (on the reverse).signed, inscribed and dated‘R.H.A. Dublin 1914/no.1 ‘TheYellow Sofa’/John Crealock/24Beaufort Mansions/Chelsea’ (on an old label on the reverse) PROVENANCE with Dicksee and Co., Liverpool, 1912.Private Collection, UK.

EXHIBITED London, RoyalAcademy, 1912, no. 98.Dublin, Royal HibernianAcademy, 1914, no. 1.

Major John Mansfield Crealockwas educated at Sandhurst and served in the Boer War as a Lieutenant in the ImperialYeomanry before travelling toParis to study at the AcadémieJulian from 1901-4. Crealock’smethod of entitling his portraitsof elegant women in luxuriousinteriors according to theircolour arrangement as opposedto the names of the sitters waspractised by Whistler in thesecond half of the 19th century.This painting, The Yellow Sofa,was exhibited at the RoyalAcademy in 1912 (no. 98) alongwith The Red Sofa (no. 92). In1920 he exhibited The PurpleSofa at the RA.

Crealock was elected member of the Royal Portrait Society in1917/18, having exhibited theresince 1908.

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A LEMON SQUEEZER AND SODA STAND

An unusual Edwardian noveltysilver-plate lemon squeezer andsoda stand by Hukin And Heath,stamped with maker's marks andregistration number, the centralstylised lemon is supported byentwined rods that transforminto supports for both furtherlemons, swizzle sticks and periodsoda bottles, the whole issupported on a circular plinthwith a central recess for a glass.England, circa 1900

Height: 12in (30cm)Diameter: 91/2 in (24cm)

The design for this lemonsqueezer was first registered in 1887 by Hukin and Heath,manufacturing silversmiths andelectroplaters first established in Birmingham. Jonathan WilsonHukin and John Thomas Heath

entered their first marks inLondon in 1879 giving the firm's addresses as ImperialWorks, Great Charles Street,Birmingham, and 19Charterhouse Street, London.Hukin retired in 1881 but thefirm continued as Hukin andHeath with J.T. Heath in partner-ship with John Hartshorne and in 1904 it became a limitedliability company.

Hukin and Heath are bestknown for their silver and platedgoods produced in the 1870's and1880's, many of which were madeto the designs of Dr. ChristopherDresser. They also made manyother unusual domestic itemssuch as monkey cruet stands and wares mounted in elephanttusks. They encouraged youngdesigners such as BenjaminCreswick and, in the 1920's and1930's, Arthur Edward Harvey.

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A PAINTED OPENBOOKCASE

An early 19th century paintedopen bookcase decoratedthroughout with carvedmouldings simulating bamboo,the cresting is enriched with a painted frieze decorated with a border of gilt quatrefoils. The paintwork is in excellentoriginal condition. England, circa 1840


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A CARVED MOTHER-OF-PEARL TEA CADDY

A rare mid 18th century silvermounted mother-of-pearlcasket, finely carved throughoutwith flowers and leaves, withpierced silver carrying handle,hinges and lock escutcheon and raised on silver claw and ball feet, containing threerococo chinoiserie repoussesilver tea caddies with lids, the interior retaining its original red velvet lining.Hallmarks: S. Herbert & Co,London 1760-1.China, circa 1760

Height: 7in (18cm)Width: 12in (30cm)Depth: 61/2in (16.5cm)

LITERATURE

A similar example is illustratedin Masterpieces of EnglishFurniture: The GerstenfeldCollection, Art BooksInternational, London, 1998,catalogue no. 117, p. 251.

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A PAIR OF WINDOWSEATS

A very fine pair of George IIIgiltwood window seats in theFrench manner, with scroll arm supports and mouldedSerpentine frame standing on elegant cabriole legs withscroll feet, now upholstered in champagne coloured silk.England, circa 1775

Height: 241/2in (62.5cm) Height of seat: 16in 41cmWidth: 421/2in (108cm) Depth: 18in (45cm)

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28 A JACKSON & GRAHAMDAVENPORT

A highly unusual late Victorianivory strung ebony Davenport.The top is enriched with apierced gallery with ivorybalustrades. The cover opens to reveal a lavish yew woodinterior with cedar lined drawersand pigeon holes. There is also a sliding bolt which releases anarticulated pen drawer on theoutside. The desk stands on ivory strung ebony columns with carved foliate enrichments.England, circa 1870

Height: 32in (82cm) Width: 23in (58 cm) Depth: 23in (58cm)

This famous firm, Jackson &Graham, is described by CliveEdwards in his article for theFurniture History Society thus: ‘In the pantheon of Victorianfurnishing enterprises, fewnames are more important than Jackson & Graham’.

Charlotte Gere and MichaelWhiteway describe Jackson & Graham in their workNineteenth Century Design as‘probably the most ImportantHigh Victorian Cabinet-makingfirm’. With academe clamoring tolavish praise of such high degreeon this company’s head, why is it that almost no one has heardof them? The truth is that theendeavors of the nineteenthcentury cabinet makers are stillundervalued. The advent of themechanical age and the lush over elaboration of the epoch

combine to seemingly render thewhole Victorian era second rate.The mistake this idea representsis only now coming to light.Indeed Jackson & Grahamcelebrated this samemechanization. They delighted in the fact that their machinesafforded them the opportunityto execute a sophistication ofmarquetry that mere hand workcould never have achieved. It istrue that Jackson & Graham wereelaborate in their confections,but the sophistication thereincontained rendered their worksuperior to all but a few.

The firm was active between1836 and 1885. They hadpremises in Oxford Street, whichgradually expanded until theycontrolled six buildings on thesame street. They were greatexhibitors at fairs and like other

cabinet makers of the age, theyemployed fashionable designersand architects to enhance theirwork. Amongst these, Jacksonand Graham employed DrChristopher Dresser and BruceTalbert. However, the longestand closest affiliate was OwenJones. He was central to the workcarried out for Alfred Morrison at 16 Carlton House Terrace andFonthill, Wiltshire. Pieces madefor Morrison were shown atexhibitions around Europe andOwen Jones’ style defines theJackson & Graham look. The firmgradually moved into declinethrough a mixture of internalstrife and external tradingconditions, finally, being boughtout by their rivals, Collinson &Lock in 1885.

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30 A GEORGE II WALNUTWING CHAIR

A large scale George II walnutWing Chair having cabriole legs, carved at the knee with a scallop shell, flanked by "C"scrolls, terminating in a ball and claw foot and having sabre chamfered back legs.England, circa 1725

Height: 49in (124.5 cm)Height of seat: 20in (51cm)Width: 34in (86.5 cm)Depth of seat: 31in (79 cm)

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A ‘PALAIS ROYAL’ CLOCK

A 19th century ‘Palais Royal’clock. The rectangular mother of pearl case with ormolumounts and a neo-gothic domecresting, surmounted by ribbedfinials at the corners and apex ofthe cresting. The circular shapedgilt dial has Roman numerals andmachined decoration. A convexglass window to the rear showsthe finely worked movement and backplate. The clock rests on ormolu claw feet.France, circa 1825

Height: 61/2in (16.5cm)Width: 31/2in (9cm)Depth: 11/2in (4cm)

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A PAIR OF GEORGE IIIPIER TABLES

A rare pair of demi-lunesatinwood marquetry topedgiltwood side tables. Each top is fashioned as a radiating fan of satinwood with a shell at thecentre. The tops are supportedby a fluted frieze, standing onreeded legs, entwined withhoneysuckle swags. The legs are joined by a fluted stretcher.Each with a black-stencillednumber 39651 to reverse of rail. England, circa 1790

Height: 331/2in (85cm)Width: 52in (131.5cm)Depth: 21in (52.5cm)

PROVENANCE

The Collection of Joseph W.HarrimanSold, Plaza Art Auction GalleriesInc., New York, 15-17 November,1934, lot 334French & Company, New York

Conceived in the French Neo-classical style popularized in the1780s by the architect HenryHolland and the Francophilecircle of the Prince of Wales,later George IV, these elegantpier tables are of the typedescribed by Thomas Sheraton in The Appendix to The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer'sDrawing-Book, 1793: ‘As pier

tables are merely for ornamentunder a glass, they are generallymade very light, and the style of finishing them is rich andelegant. Sometimes the tops are solid marble, but mostcommonly veneered in rich satin,or other valuable wood, with a cross-band on the outside, aborder about two inches richlyjapanned, and a narrow cross-band beyond it, to go all around.The frames are commonly gold,or white and burnished gold.Stretching-rails have of late beenintroduced to these tables, and it must be owned that it is withgood effect, as they take off the long appearance of the legs, and make the under part appear

more finished.’Helena Hayward described

a pair of tables of related form in The Connoisseur, June 1967,with painted satinwood tops andgiltwood bases, sold in Sotheby’s,New York, 19-20 April, 2001, lot544, as ‘produced at a moment in the history ofEnglish furniture when eleganceof design was combined with a refined sense of colour and a keen appreciation ofsophistication in ornament.’

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A PAIR OF BRONZE AND ORMOLU WALLAPPLIQUES

A pair of Charles X five candlebronze and ormolu wallappliques. Each has five foliatescroll supports, with gilt socles,issuing from an ormolu ringwhich attaches to a bronze and gilt foliate wall support.France, circa 1830

Height: 8in (20cm)Diameter: 12in (30cm)

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37A PAIR OF IRISHTORCHÈRES

A pair of Irish Regency candle-stands, with simulated verdeantico tops above a parcel-gilttripod, with gilt cast iron ramsheads and claw feet, withwooden X frame supports and a cast iron stretcher.Ireland, circa 1810

Height: 38in (96cm) Diameter: 14in (35cm)

The torchères relate broadly to a design by Charles Percier(1764-1838) for a gueridoncommissioned from Jacob-Desmalter in 1809 for the bedchamber of Empress Josephineat Fontainebleau. The designdisplays the same tripod basewith cross stretchers althoughthe Fontainebleau gueridonswere executed in ormolu, rather than giltwood.

A related torchère isillustrated in H Cescinsky, English Furniture of theEighteenth Century, London, Vol. III, p19, fig. 5 and another is in the Sultana Room,Attingham Park, Shropshire.

A similar pair of torchèreswere sold Christie’s Dealing inExcellence: A Celebration ofHotspur and Jeremy, 20November 2008, lot 37

F2I0286


A PAIR OF GEORGE IWALNUT SIDE CHAIRS

An extremely fine and rare pairof early 18th century George Iwalnut side chairs, the archedpadded backs and bowed seatscovered with period gros pointneedlework, the red ground withblue, yellow and green lily pads,all supported on cabriole legsflanked by ‘C’ scrolls andterminating in pad feet.England, circa 1725

Height: 391/2in (100cm)Height of seat: 17in (43cm)Width: 23in (58cm)Depth: 25in (63cm)

F2I0589

LITERATURE

Lanto Synge, Great EnglishFurniture, (Barrie & Jenkins, 1991, London), p46-47

�

A PAIR OF GILT BRONZE GEESE

A pair of late nineteenthcentury naturalisticallymodelled bronze geese, eachstanding in life like form withhead raised upwards with giltenrichments.China, circa 1880

Height: 15in (38cm) Width: 15in (38cm)Depth: 71/2in (19cm)

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41


A COROMANDEL WOODDRESSING CASE BYBETJEMAN

A Coromandel wood dressingcase with silver plated brassbanding, the interior fitted withfourteen polished sterling silverand hobnail cut crystal containerand three mirrors, all housed in a fitted tooled leather and velvetinterior. The sterling fittingsbear hallmarks for 1877 and the large mirror is signed Royal Warrant Holder Jenner & Knewstub of 33 St. James’sStreet, London.England, circa 1877

Height: 111/2in (29cm)Width: 16in (40.5cm)Depth: 12in (31cm)

O2H0449


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43


A GEORGE IIIMAHOGANY PIE CRUST TABLE

A very fine and rare Chippendaleperiod mahogany circular tripodtable, the tilt-top of excellentcolour and with finely carved piecrust border, on a classicalcolumn where the upper part isfluted and the base is carvedwith acanthus and egg-and-dart,raised on an arched tripod base,the supports carved at the kneeswith stylised acanthus andpendant harebells and ending inattenuated claw and ball feetfitted with brass and leathercastors.England, circa 1760

Height: 271/2in (70cm)Diameter: 27in (68.5cm)

This table is emblematic of someof the finest English furniture,being well proportioned, of finetimber and precisely carved. The condition of the surface is remarkable and has goodpatination. The mahogany is the best West Indian, probably of Cuban origin. It is possible that the castors were added or replaced at some time but are undoubtedly of the period.

F2I0600

AN 18TH CENTURYGILTWOOD CONSOLETABLE

A most unusual parcel gilt LouisXV side table carved with richlyfashioned foliate decoration withan elaborate pierced shell in thecentre of the frieze. The tablestands on cabriole legs withscroll feet enriched with furtherfoliate carving. Throughout thegilding and paintwork is in aremarkable state of conservation.The table retains its originalRouge Royal marble top.Southern France, circa 1760

Height: 34in (86cm) Width: 55in (140cm)Depth: 261/2in (67.5cm)

F2I0653

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46


A PAIR OF ENGLISHSIGNAL CANNON

A pair of early nineteenthcentury signal cannon, thebronze barrels with touch holesand black powder proof marks on teak carriages with ironfittings and wooden wheels.England, circa 1820


O2I0588

THOMAS BEACH (1738-1806)

Portrait of the Masters Blair:Charles and Henry Blair, theChildren of Charles Blair and Lady Mary Fane, full length,wearing green and red suits of clothes, playing cup and ball in a landscape

Signed ‘TBeach pinx’ andindistinctly dated 1769 (T and B in monogram; lower left)Oil on canvas Unframed: 501/2 x 40in (127.5 x 101.5cm) Framed: 57 x 47in (144.8 x 119.4cm)Contained in its original carved and gilded frame

PROVENANCE By inheritance in the Blair, Michel and DeMontmorency families, until1981 at Bowling Green,Sherborne, Dorset, to the present owner.

LITERATURE Elise S. Beach,Thomas Beach. A Dorset PortraitPainter, 1934, p. 55, no. 23.

Thomas Beach was born inMilton Abbas in 1738 and froman early age showed a love of art.In 1760, he became a pupil of SirJoshua Reynolds and about thesame time enlisted as a studentin the St. Martin’s Lane Academy.On leaving his master heestablished himself in Bath,where he gained employmentand repute as a portrait painter.From Bath he sent portraits to the exhibitions of theIncorporated Society of Artists(1772-83), of which body he wasa member and a warm advocatein the squabbles which arose. He first began exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1785,contributing portraits yearly up to 1797.

His paintings are well known in the West of Englandand consist chiefly of portraits.

His works are well drawn,carefully painted, often in a low sober tone. The likenessesare usually excellent, withoutconcession to flattery and easy to recognise. The presentpainting must rate amongst hisfinest works in terms of quality,use of light and its ambitiousscale.

Works by Beach are to be found in many importantcollections including theNational Portrait Gallery, theRoyal Collection at WindsorCastle and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.

P2I0343


47



48



THE DENHAM PLACE PIER MIRRORS

A very fine pair of George Icarved gilt gesso pier mirrorswith shaped arch plate,within leaf-tip, flowerhead, C-scroll, pendant and strapwork-carved corbelled sides, on a punched ground, the cresting with Prince of Wales plumes above a cherubmask flanked by eagle’s headsand scrolls, and the shaped apron centring on putto maskwith scrolling leaves. The mirrorframes reinstated with a rare setof 4mm glass plates with theiroriginal mercury silvering, andbevelled and shaped to theoriginal design.Attributed to John Belchier.England, circa 1715

Height: 96in (242cm) Width: 441/2in (113cm) Depth: 8in (20cm)

PROVENANCE

Almost certainly supplied to Sir Roger Hill (d.1729) forDenham Place, Buckinghamshire.Possibly sold to Francis Lenygoncirca 1914 by Colonel Way.Acquired by Lord and LadyChesterfield for BeningboroughHall, York after 1917.Sold Curtis & Henson, 12 June1958, Beningborough Hall, The Important Contents of the Mansion (Lot 634 and 636)Desmond Fitz-Gerald, ‘A NewYorker’s Unusual Collection,Apollo Magazine, March 1967,Vol. LXXXV, 61, p. 162, pl. 11

John Belchier was believed tohave been of Huguenot origin, as his trade label may suggest.He was recorded working as acabinet maker at The Sun locatedin St. Pauls Church Yard in 1717 and is believed to havemaintained the workshop untilhis death at the age of 70 in1753.There are several recordedtrade labels with his name spelt

either Belchier or Bel-Chiertogether with his work shoplabel of an ornamental Sun.Belchier promoted himself onprinted labels as a maker of ‘finepeer and Chimney-Glasses, andGlass Sconces, Likewise allCabinet Makers Goods.’

F2J0030

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50


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52


A WILLIAM IVMAHOGANY EXTENDINGDINING TABLE

A mid-19th century mahoganyextending dining table, thedemi-lune ends above a mouldedfrieze supported on circulartapering legs with large scalebrass caps and castors, theinternal telescopic mechanismallowing for seating for 16.England, circa 1835

Height: 29in (73.5 cm) Length: 2261/2in (575.5 cm) Width: 651/2in (166.5 cm)Diameter: 651/2in (166.5 cm)

This unusually versatile table can be employed as either acircular breakfast table, or as an extended dining table. Itsrobust frame make it bothpractical and elegant. It is of a form and design that Malletthave not encountered before.

F2I0594


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54


55


A GEORGE III STEEL FIRE GRATE

A large-scale Adam polishedsteel fire grate having engravedvase finials and paterae, theframe being bordered with abead motif and having a piercedfrieze of faceted and engravedpaterae of oval form. The wholestanding on fluted squaretapering legs.England, circa 1800

Height: 261/2in (67cm)Width: 371/2in (95cm)Depth: 151/2in (39cm)

F2I0388

A PAIR OF WILLIAM IVSIDE CABINETS

A pair of William IV side cabinetshaving glazed doors framed with a brass rim. The plinth andcornice are inlaid with a reededbrass element. The interiorsdivided by two shelves.England, circa 1825


F2I0590

�A PAIR OF MANDARINVASES

A pair of late 18th centuryexport Mandarin vases offlattened gourd shape,decorated with a vignette of village life, set within a geometric background.China, circa 1780

Height: 181/2in (47cm) Width: 8in (21cm) Depth: 4in (10cm)

(O2J0029)


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57


58 A PAIR OF OVALPEDESTALS

An unusual pair of late 18thcentury scagliola oval columnpedestals fashioned as rougemarble with dark green andwhite plinths.Italy, circa 1800


Scagliola is an imitation of marble made from acomposition of selenite, glue and natural pigments. It is applied like paint to a wet gesso ground and fixed under heat and highly polished.This results in a complex texture and numerous possibilities ofrich colours. The origin of thetechnique is Roman but wasrevived from the 16th centuryonwards as a less expensiveoption to marble. It was mainlyused for columns, pilasters andarchitectural features as well asfor table tops.

F2I0598


A DOUBLE DECANTERSTAND BY MICHAELPLUMMER

A George III silver schoonershaped double decanter stand,the silver body with outsweptreaded rims terminating inscrolls above ring handles. The centre with two pierced and bright cut circular coastersflanked by a coat of arms with a trefoiled cross botonny at itscentre. 30’ 7 scratch weight. London, 1794

Height: 2in (5cm)Width: 15in (38.5cm)Depth: 71/2in (19cm)

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62


JOSEPH FARINGTON RA(1747-1821)

The Waterfall at Lodore,Derwentwater, Lake District

Exhibited: Royal Academy, 1778,number 105 “A waterfall” withersent, according to the RAcatalogue, from “Creswick”, (presumably = Keswick)Cumberland

PROVENANCE

Purchased from the artist for£5.5s 0d by Daniel Alexander Snr,thence by inheritance to his sonDaniel Asher Alexander (1768-1846), architect and surveyor for the London Dock Company.Afterwards private collection,London.

Inscribed on two labels dated 6 May 1843, verso, signed byD.A.Alexander “one of the firstpictures [he exhibited]”

Joseph Farington was born atLeigh, near Manchester, the sonof an Anglican Rector, on 21November 1747. After showingearly promise as a landscapeartist, he was sent at the age of16 to train with Richard Wilson in London from 1763. He stayedwith Wilson (for whom hemaintained a profound respectthroughout his life) for five years until 1768, absorbing histechnique of landscape paintingwhilst simultaneously traininghis hand as a draughtsman in penand ink in a manner which owesmuch to the Neapolitan SalvatorRosa (a great English favourite in the 18th century) and, moretenuously, to Canaletto whoseVenetian views he greatlyadmired. At the age of 21 he waselected a member of the Societyof Artists, where he had alreadywon several prizes for landscapedrawings.

In 1769 he entered the RoyalAcademy Schools to further hisformal training, though he hadalready started exhibiting hispictures at the Society of Artists

from four years earlier. Caughtup in the new spirit of thePicturesque and the Sublime, he began a series of visits to themountains of the Lake District,which consumed his interestthroughout his life. He lived at Kewick from 1776 until 1781His first exhibit at the RoyalAcademy (the present painting)was in 1778, and he continued to send pictures there forexhibition for the next 35 years.

Farington was elected anAssociate of the Royal Academyin 1783, and full RA two yearslater. He was now established inhis house at 35 Upper CharlotteStreet, FitzRoy Square, where heentertained numerous membersof the British art world. He was arelentlessly social man, and spentmuch of his life dining withfellow artists. A decade later, in 1793, he started what was to become the most importantdocument in English art-historyof the period: his diaries wereminutely detailed and run from1793 until 1821, and give us anunparalleled insight into thepolitics of the Royal Academyand the world of London Artists.The diary lists every dinner he attended, a note of all theparticipants (and where they sat at table) and what passedbetween them. We know, forinstance, that Farington haddinner with Daniel AsherAlexander, whose father hadbought the present picturedirectly from the artist and wholater owned it, at the Architects’Club on 13 January 1803 at theThatched House Tavern. (Diaries,V, 1960). We also know thatFarington gossiped with Smirkeabout Alexander’s over-chargingthe Crown for architectural workat Kensington Palace (Diaries, XVI(1820-21), 5447).

In 1794, 76 views of the RiverThames by him were engravedand published; later manylandscape views of the LakeDistrict were engraved by Byrne,Medland, Pouncey and others,which enjoyed a ready

commercial success. Farington was prolific

topographical draughtsman, andmany of his drawings and sketchbooks survive in the V&A andelsewhere. He also producednumerous landscape paintings,of which today only few aretraceable (he seems scarely everto have signed his work in oils).The present painting is, rarely,

documented both by the earlyownership inscriptions on thereverse, and by the survival ofthe composition drawing doneon the spot on one of hissketching tours (below).

He died in Manchester, wherehe had settled, from a fall fromhis horse whilst returning fromchurch on 30 December 1821. He was 74.


The view of the presentpicture is of the waterfall at Lodore at the end ofDerwentwater near Keswick in the Lake District.

CONDITION NOTE

The painting is previouslyunpublished in this condition. At some point, probably in themid-19th century, it had been

virtually completely over-paintedin a crude and garish way,obscuring the original paint and changing the compositionradically. There seems to havebeen no rational reason for this overpainting, as the recentcampaign of conservation,removing the overpaint, hasrevealed that the original surfaceis intact and had not been

damaged by over-cleaning. Thequality of the overpaint stronglysuggested an amateur (perhapschildish) hand, and presumablythe claims of the labels that thiswas an authentic early work byFarington had been dismissed by intervening owners becauseof this. The removal of theoverpaint has revealed a picturein good condition, and with the

freshness of brushwork andstrong impasto that betokensthe influence of Richard Wilsonon the one hand and Farington’sidiosyncratic technique on theother.

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63


64 A SPECIMEN MARBLETOPPED TABLE

An unusual Italian early 19thcentury specimen marble topdecorated at the centre withpietra dura panel depicting a birdperched on a branch; surroundedby radiating panels of variedmarbles. The top is supported ona Regency giltwood tripod base,each leg carved with a claw footwith acanthus leaf and flutingabove. The whole supported on a circular plinth.The top: Italy, circa 1820The base: England, circa 1820


F2I0095



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66


67A REGENCY PERIODROSEWOOD REVOLVINGBOOKSTAND

A very rare and unusual revolvingbookstand. The circular piercedbrass galleried top above fourgraduated revolving circular tierswith rope-twist brass mouldingsand brass retaining bars to eachcompartment. Supported on aparcel gilt fluted trumpet stemwith a concave sided triangularplinth which in turn stands ongilt bun feet.England, 1820

Height: 59in (150cm)Diameter: 12in 30cm

PROVENANCEFrederick, 2nd Baron Hesketh(1916-1955) Easton Neston,Northamptonshire

A related circular revolvingbookcase is illustrated inAckermann’s Repository of 1810, plate 1, (see page 48Ackermann’s Regency Furniture & Interiors, text by PaulineAgius), This particular form ofbookcase was secured by patentby Morgan and Sanders ofCatherine St, Strand, London. For a further related example see Francis Collard, RegencyFurniture, 1985, p.16.

The column support of thisbookcase derives from a designfor a floor-standing torchèredesigned by Thomas Hope andwhich is illustrated in hisHousehold Furniture & InteriorDecoration, 1807, pl. X.

The distinctive ebonised andfluted column support and theuse of gilt-metal mounts are alsoreminiscent of the details onsome of the furniture suppliedto Southill, Bedfordshire for theWhitbread family. Much of thisfurniture was to the design ofHenry Holland and made byEdward Marsh, whose businesswas subsequently re-namedMarsh & Tatham. The trumpetstem on this bookstand alsoclosely relates to that on anoctagonal rosewood library tablefrom Normanton Park, Rutland,(illustrated in M. Jourdain,Regency Furniture 1795-1830, fig. 172). It is possible that theNormanton Park table formedpart of the furniturecommissioned by the Heathcotefamily from Thomas Chippendalethe Younger.

LITERATURE Christian, LadyHesketh, ‘Easton Neston,Nicholas Hawksmoor’s BaroqueCreation in Northamptonshire’,Architectural Digest, January1991, p.143

F2J0016


A PAIR OF CEYLONESECONSOLE TABLES

A pair of mid 19th centuryCeylonese calamander woodconsole tables, each with ashaped top and moulded edgestanding on cabriole legs, theknees enriched with carvedfoliate ornament andterminating in claw and ball feet.Ceylon, circa 1840

Height: 291/2in (75cm)Width: 48in (122cm)Depth: 17in (42.5cm)

F2I0445

A PAIR OF WILLIAM IVCANDELABRA

A pair of three branch Louis XVrevival William IV gilt coppercandelabra ornamentedthroughout with high reliefscrolls and floral ornament.England, 1835

Height: 23in (58cm) Width: 19in (48cm)

O2D0246

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SIR MARTIN ARCHERSHEE PRA (1769-1850)

Portrait of An elegant lady with afolio of drawings

Oil on canvasUnframed: 30 x 25in (76.2 x 63.5cm)Framed: 38 x 33in (96.5 x 83.8cm)

Sir Martin Archer Shee was born in Dublin on 20 December1769, the son of a familyoriginally from Kilkenny whichsubsequently moved to Co.Mayo. He was sent to school in Dublin and there first evincedthe talent as a draughtsmanwhich subsequently became hishallmark as an artist. He enteredthe Dublin Society’s DrawingSchools in 1781 at the age oftwelve under the tutelage ofFrancis Robert West, where hewon virtually all the medals andprizes for which he was entered,notably the medal for landscape(1782) and portraiture (1783). At the age of 16 or 17, he set up his own studio at 32 DameStreet, Dublin, and by 1786 was‘as busy as anyone with one headand two hands can possibly be…..I have pictures in hand to the

amount of more than 50guineas….. I am also to receive a silver palette from the DublinSociety in token of theapprobation of my pictures’. Thepresent painting dates from thisearly fertile period in his career,and was painted in about 1786.

Encouraged by Gilbert Stuart,the American painter thenworking in Ireland, in June 1788Shee moved to England, workinginitially as a copyist for theengravers Macklin and Boydell.He was subsequently introducedto Sir Joshua Reynolds, whoadvised him to join the RoyalAcademy Schools, to which hewas admitted in November 1790,just before his 21st birthday, andby the following year, he wasexhibiting the first of his verymany exhibits at the RoyalAcademy Summer Exhibition.

Shee was admitted A.R.A. in 1798.Henceforth his career was thatof the hugely successful portraitpainter, and after the death ofLawrence he was elected by alarge majority as President of the Royal Academy in 1830, the first, and only, Irish man to achieve this honour. In thesame year he was knighted. Shee was a member of theSociety of Dilettanti, the RoyalSociety and several overseascultural institutes. Painting apart, he was a poet, critic, and a playwright. He died in Brightonon 19 August 1850.

LITERATURE Walter Strickland, ADictionary of Irish Artists, Dublin,1913, Volume 2, p. 330.

P2I0530


71

A PAIR OF CHINESE BLUEAND WHITE VASES

A pair of mid 19th centuryChinese blue and white vasesdecorated with courtiersamongst palace gardens on a white ground. Mounted aslamps with silk bowed shades.China, circa 1860

Height: 251/2in (64cm) Width:8in (21cm)

O2I0576

A PAIR OF CHINESEFAMILLE VERTE VASESAS LAMPS

A pair of mid 19th centuryfamille verte vases of bulbousform, decorated with shantungbirds of paradise, perched amidstflowering branches and rockwork. Now mounted as lampswith bowed silk shades.China, circa 1860

Height: 271/2in (70cm)Width: 10in (25cm)

O2I0577

A PAIR OF IMARI VASESMOUNTED AS LAMPS

A pair of mid 19th centuryJapanese Fukagawa Imari vases decorated with floweringpeonies and birds on a terracottaground, mounted as lamps withpleated silk shades.Japan, circa 1850

Height: 25in (63cm)Width: 71/2in (19cm)

L2I0574

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left middle right


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74


A CHARLES X INLAID GUÉRIDON

A fine quality Charles X rosewood guéridon profuselyinlaid with floral decoration, the fossil marble top resting on a moulded edge with additionalscroll supports, the centralcolumn is inlaid with simulatedfluting in boxwood, the squaresection supports resting on a classical stepped plinth.France, circa 1830

Height: 30in (76.5cm)Diameter: 41in (103.5cm)

Delicately inlaid rosewoodfurniture such as this becamepopular in France, mainly as a result of the success of thedesigns of Jean-Josse Caronl’Aîné (1773-1838). The pieces he produced in the brief periodbetween 1831 and 1838, as wellas his publication, in 1836, ofsixty designs under the title Le Manuel de l'ébéniste, wouldhave had considerable influenceon contemporary tastes. Thedelicate markings of the inlaycontrast with the clean, stronglines of the table.

F2I0545


75A COLLECTION OFBUTTERFLY AND MOTHSTUDIES

Marian Ellis Rowan (1848-1922)

A full description of the exactspecies of each moth/butterfly is available on request.

Characteristic of New Guinea/Indo-AustraliaWatercolour with body colour on grey paper.Each signed Ellis RowanCirca 1916-18

Marian Ellis Rowan was born on30 July 1848 in Melbourne, firstchild of Charles Ryan of Kilferastation, Port Phillip District, andhis wife Marian, née Cotton.Rowan attended a girls’ school at Brighton, Victoria. She had no formal training in art but wasencouraged by her grandfather,John Cotton, who had writtenand illustrated two books onEnglish birds. In 1869 she visitedEnglish relatives who advised herto continue painting wildflowersin her own style. It was thiswhich brought her lasting fame.

Ellis Rowan was a fascinatingwoman, an enigmatic characterwho forged her way through life, captivating others whilepursuing her ultimate goal –the finding and painting ofwildflowers, birds, insects andbutterflies of many countries,often for the first time. Manywere classified and named by the government botanist SirFerdinand Mueller.

In 1879-93 Ellis Rowanexhibited her work ininternational exhibitions inAustralia, India, England, Europeand the United States of Americaand in that time was awarded 10 gold medals, 15 silver and 4bronze. In 1888 at Melbourne’sCentennial InternationalExhibition she was awarded thehighest honours, which broughta measure of envy from a fewartists who considered flowerpainting an inferior art.

After the death of herhusband, Frederic Rowan, in1892, Ellis Rowan was rarely inAustralia; she travelled to NewZealand, London and the U.S.A.,exhibiting her work as she went.Her London stay of two yearsbrought swift fame – QueenVictoria accepted three of herpaintings – and she wrote FlowerHunter in Queensland and NewZealand (1898), an account ofadventures based on letters to

her husband and friends. While in America she illustratedthree botanical texts for AliceLounsberry. Rowan returned to Australia in 1905-06 whereshe pursued her search to findand record every species ofwildflower on the continent.

In 1916-18 she twice visitedPapua and New Guinea, findingand illustrating many hithertounclassified flowers and, on her second trip, searching forendangered birds of paradise.Travelling only with local guidesand living in primitive conditionsin unmapped territory, shesucceeded in painting forty-seven of the fifty-two knownspecies, setting the birds freeafterwards. Aged 70, broken inhealth from malaria and fatigueshe returned to Australia, and in1920 held an exhibition of 1000paintings in Sydney, the largestcollection exhibited to that time in Australia. The next year,in response to pressure fromwomen’s organizations, theHughes government agreed to purchase the collection for the nation, but debate in Federal parliament over the pricebrought conflicting opinions.Ellis Rowan’s health deteriorated;and no decision had beenreached by the time of her deathat Macedon on 4 October 1922.She was buried with Anglicanrites in Macedon cemetery. In 1923 the Bruce-Pagegovernment, offered £5000 for 947 paintings. A number of disgruntled artists demurredat the purchase of ‘vulgar art’.Probably of greater botanicalthan artistic value, the Rowancollection is held at the NationalLibrary of Australia, Canberra, asis a portrait of her by JohnLongstaff.

P2I0613

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77


Opposite topA PAIR OF MOTH STUDIESHeight: 301/2in (78cm)Width: 231/2in (59.5cm)P2I0614

Opposite bottomA PAIR OF BUTTERFLY STUDIESHeight: 301/2in (78cm)Width: 231/2in (59.5cm)P2I0613

AboveA PAIR OF BUTTERFLY STUDIESHeight: 301/2in (78cm)Width: 231/2in (59.5cm)P2I0615

LeftA STUDY OF MOTHSHeight: 31in (78cm)Width: 231/2in (59.5cm)P2I0616


78


A PAIR OF BLACKLACQUER STOOLS

A very rare pair of mid-18thcentury chinoiserie japannedrectangular stools, eachdecorated on all four sides withfloral and landscape vignettesflanked by diaper patternedborders, each also having astretcher similarly decorated.Attributed to John Linnell.England, circa 1760


The careers of William Linnell andhis son John spanned more thansixty years; William trained as acarver and set up business in c. 1730, and his son John, who was an exceptional artist anddesigner, seems to have beeninvolved in the firm in the early1750s.

Linnell’s involvement in the production of chinoseriestyle furniture is likely to have begun simultaneously tothe publication of two papers which spread the fashion for the Chinoiserie style. WilliamHalfpenny’s New Designs forChinese Temples (1750) andThomas Chippendale’sGentleman and Cabinet-Maker’sDirector’ (1754) are two goodexamples of contemporaryChinese style design sources.

By the time of WilliamLinnell’s death in 1763, aninventory of the Berkeley Squareworkshops was made, revealingseveral chinoserie pieces and,with other known commissionsin this style, we can assume thatthey had a regular production ofchinoserie style furniturebetween 1750-65

F2I0426


79


AN ANGLO INDIANMIRROR

A very unusual mid-19th centuryAnglo Indian rococo revivalebony pier mirror, each elementis finely carved with foliateornament and “C” & “S” scrollswith carved shells at the cornersand the centre of the sidesIndia, circa 1860

Height: 451/2in (115.5cm) Width: 33in (84cm) Depth 21/2in (6.5cm)

F2F0026

A PAIR OF MICHARDCANAPÉS

A fine small scale pair of canapésen corbeille each with a paddedmoulded backrest and armrestson curved moulded supports, theseat with loose cushion raised oncabriole legs carved with stylizedfans, terminating in scroll toesand joined by a doubleserpentine fluted seat rail.Re-gilded.France, circa 1760

Height: 371/2in (95cm) Height of seat: 19in (49cm)Width: 501/2in (128cm) Depth: 231/2in (60cm)

Claude-Étienne Michard (1732-1794) was a Parisian menuisierwho obtained his title of mâitrein 1757. He worked at RueSainte-Foy in the menuisiers area and married the sister of one of his colleagues, Jean-Nicolas Blanchard. He made seatfurniture in Louis XV, Transition

and Louis XVI styles which weredelivered to some rich collectorslike the Duc de Choiseul at theChâteau de Canteloup or the Ducde la Rochefoucauld-d’Enville. Heis represented at the Musée desArts Decoratifs and at the MuséeNissim de Camondo, in Paris.

F2I0316

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82

A CHINESE EXPORT SCREEN

A magnificent early 19th centuryCantonese double-sided eight-foldscreen, decorated with giltchinoiseries on a brownbackground, depicting scenes of courtly life amongst a landscapeof pleasure gardens and lakes,bordered by intricate foliate

decoration with many mythologicalbirds animals and fish.China, circa 1820

Height: 85in (214cm)Width: 173in (440cm)

F2I0283



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84



85


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86

A PAIR OF WILLIAM IVHANGING SHELVES

A pair of William IV brass andebonised wood four tier hangingshelves, each tier is strung withbrass and is divided by anelaborate pierced foliate elementflanked by brass columns. Thetop tier has a boldly modelledpierced foliate scroll gallery.England, circa 1820


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A PAIR OF TOWN &EMANUEL COMMODES

A most unusual pair of RegencyRevival boulle bedsidecommodes, each profusely inlaidwith rosewood and brass neo-classical decoration. There isextensive use of ‘partie’ and‘contra partie’ work. The sides areinlaid with a border of stars withfloral inlay at the corners. Thedoors echo the star motif andframe brass grills with silkbehind. The commodes stand on tapering square feet inlaidwith further boulle work. Thecommodes retain their original

Alps Jade marble tops.Attributed to Town & Emanuel.England, circa 1845

Height: 361/2in (93cm) Width: 27in (68.5cm) Depth: 171/2in (44.5cm)

Town & Emanuel set up theirbusiness as cabinet-makers inNew Bond Street from 1830 to1849. At this time it was notuncommon for firms to stamp or label their furniture. However,Town & Emanuel’s label wasmore elaborate than most,describing themselves as’Manufacturers of Buhl

Marqueterie, Riesner & CarvedFurniture, Tripods, Screens &c. of the Finest & Most SuperbDesigns of the Times of Louis14th. Splendid Cabinets & Tablesinlaid with Fine Sevre & DresdenChina &c.’ (reproduced inF.Collard, ‘Town & Emanuel’,Furniture History, 1996, p.82,fig.1). The label also advertisestheir Royal Appointment to Queen Adelaide and the wide scope of their business.

As manufacturers ofrevivalist furniture, Town &Emanuel chiefly cultivated theBritish aristocratic taste for the styles of the French ancien

régime. One of their principalspecialties was ‘buhl’ (the Englishrevival of the French Boulletechnique). They wereparticularly successful at buhlwriting desks. Typical of theirwork is an example at BurghleyHouse which was made in the 1830’s and is apparentlyunlabelled. It may be attributedto Town & Emanuel on accountof its similarity to a labelledpiece which has passed throughthe trade.

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91A PAIR OF ITALIANGILTWOOD MIRRORS

An unusual and charming pair ofsmall scale North Italian giltwoodmirrors, the cresting carved as abalustrade with vases joined byswags and issuing forth floraldisplays, the sides are carvedwith further stylised foliateornament and subsidiary swagsat the base. They retain theiroriginal bevelled mirror plates.

Italy, circa 1770

Height: 32in (82cm) Width: 13in (33cm)

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A PAIR OF EMPIREMAHOGANY BERGÈRES

A pair of Empire mahoganybergères having square backscarved with stylised foliatepatterae and a floral motif. The arms are of barrel shape and are carved with furtherfoliate ornament and scrolls. The bergères stand on columnlegs carved with dentills andterminate in pad feet. The bowedfront seat rail is further carvedwith stylised foliate patterae.Each stamped P. Bellangé andhave a label marked “Salon deMadame Vilette”.France, circa 1810

Height: 37in (94cm) Height of seat: 18.5 (47cm)Width: 29in (73.5cm) Depth: 25in (63.5cm)

F2I0593

Pierre Bellangé was born around1760 and became a maîtremenuisier in 1788. He managedto survive successfully and even

flourish through the turbulenttimes of the end of the 'ancienrégime' through the Revolutionand the Empire to end his days in the exalted position of being'ébeniste du Roi' to Louis-Philippein 1844. Throughout his careerhis work was always sought afterand he seems to have enjoyed alife free from the usual turmoilof bankruptcy, or worse, thatafflicted most of his generation.With immaculate timing hemoved into 'ébenisterie' whenmerely being a 'menuisier' did not suffice and he madepartnerships with equal skill. If we look back on his career we see that he held a positionamongst the front ranks of thosewho fashioned the decorativearts of the early 19th century.

Though he produced manyfine pieces in all styles, his workduring the Empire period isprobably his finest. Indeed hestamped very little of his workbut it is sometimes to be foundon his chairs from this epoch,and always those made inmahogany.

�A PAIR OF FAMILLE ROSE PLATES

A very fine pair of early 18thcentury Chinese porcelain rose Imari plates, each richlydecorated with a cockerelperched on rockwork in ablossoming garden, the rims with panels of chrysanthemum,prunus blossom and scrollsenclosed on a stylisedchrysanthemum ground, theunderside with a floral garland.China, Yongzheng period, circa 1723-35

Diameter: 111/2in (29cm)

These plates are of the earliesttype of Famille rose that wasmade for the European market.They are a combination of theImari and Famille rose palette,first introduced around 1720.

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95


A PAIR OF CHINESESTOOLS

A pair of late 19th Chineseexport aubergine lacquer barrelstools. Each constructed withfive legs joined at the foot by a circular stretcher. The stoolsare decorated throughout withgeometric and foliate patternstogether with floral vignettesand still lives of vernacularobjects.China, circa 1880


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A PAIR OF GEORGE IGILTWOOD PIERMIRRORS

A pair of George I gilt gesso piermirrors. Each has a shaped andscrolled cresting centred by an elaborate feathered plume,which is decorated with bell-flowers carved in relief, andsurrounded by arabesque foliate motifs, against a punchedground. The shaped apron iscentred by a scallop shell, withina punched foliate carved ground,and flanked by brass candlearms. The rectangular bevelledmirror plate is bordered by a giltgesso frame with carved strapwork and alternating scallopshells and stylised floral motifs.England, circa 1720


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�A KASHMIRI RED &WHITE IVORY CHESS SET

An elaborately carved early 19thcentury Kashmiri chess set inwhite and red stained ivory.India, circa 1820

Height of King: 5in (12cm)Max width: 2in (4.5cm)

O2C0349

A MARBLE CHESS BOARD

An Italian mid-19th centurymarble chess board. The squaresare in black and sienna marblesand framed in white with a bandof rouge griotte.Italy, circa 1860

Height: 11/2 in (4cm)Width: 19in (49cm)

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98


A REGENCY REVIVAL END TABLE

A rare two-tier end table, eachtier is black japanned. The toptier is supported at the cornerswith double brass columnssimulating bamboo and at thecapital with a ring handle. Thetable stands on turned taperingfeet with machined brass collarsand terminating in elaborately

fashioned brass castors. Theunderside of the top bears a label for John Reid and Sons,cabinet makers, 14 Park Row,Leeds.England, circa 1900

Height: 25 in (63cm)Width: 251/2 in (65cm)Depth: 161/2 in (42cm)

John Reid & Sons from Leedswere a retail furniture suppliersand probably also makers. Theywere active during the secondhalf of the 19th century andseveral labelled pieces by themare known. These show that heworked mainly in a fine neoGeorgian (especially neoSheraton) style, and this unusualétagère is apparently the onlyknown piece in this style. The

firm is recorded in thedirectories as Cabinet Makersand Upholsterers from circa1853at Meadow Road, Leeds, and from1881 to 1903 also at 14 Park Row.

We thank James Lomax, curatorat Temple Newsam House Leeds,for the information provided onJohn Reid & Sons.

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99A SET OF THOMASWEEKS WEIGHINGSCALES

A very rare set of late 18thcentury weighing scales withextending height measure, made in satinwood cross-bandedthroughout with kingwood, and outlined with boxwood and ebony stringing. With twosmall turned and hinged trays for weights and raised on arectangular, leather lined base;having a small brass band at the top of the shaft inscribed‘Weeks’s Rl Mechl MuseumTichborne St’; the weights intheir own brass containerinscribed on the top: ‘32.Ounces16.Stone 224.Pounds/ Weeks’s/589/ Rl Mechanl Museum/Tichborne St’.England, circa 1790

Height: 53 in (135cm)Width: 14 in (36cm)Depth: 14 in (36cm)

A makers label under weighingplatform & to the underside an applied paper label with inkscript:

"Instructions for the SanctoriousBallance or Standards &Weighing Machine: made byWeeks Tichborne St, Piccadilly.

Successor to the late M Merlin.Let the place where it stands bequite even ...... & when you pullthe standard up count from thetop of the name weeks on theright hand side, should the footboard be out of its situation – by being meddled withimproperly – please to jostle tillit takes its proper place; this youwill know by the vibration of thebeam. NB Under the point of the .... Is the stones & pounds, 1 stone – this is equal to twoounces. Should the scale be outof perpendicular you will observea screw on the counter leverwith a nut at the end of it for thepurpose of regulating the scale;this turn to the right or the lefttill you bring it to an equilibriumthat should always be correct.Where are also made the Merlinsmechanical Gouty Chairs, alsothe Bath Chairs, with springs orwithout equal to a Sedan Chair in the first style of workmanship– also curious library Chairs withsteps imperceptible invented by Weeks well calculated forexercise, as the will produceperspiration from the nod of theneck to the toe in the course of a few seconds far superior toDumb Bells used for that purpose– these chairs also answer for high beds."

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103AN EGLOMISE MIRROR

An unusual large-scale Charles Xeglomise mirror having apolished brass outer edge andeglomise faces with gilt bordersand scrolling gilt oak leaf motifagainst a white backgroundretaining its original mirror plate.France, circa 1830


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A PATENT PORT CRADLE

A polished brass mechanical portcradle having baluster shapedside supports, with carryinghandle, suspending a bottlecarrier which is in turn attachedto a screw operated tiltingmechanism, all this in brass andraised on a shaped ebonisedwood support with ball feet.England, circa 1890

Height: 10in (26cm)Length: 121/2in (32cm)

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A EMPIRE CHAISELONGUE

An Empire mahogany chaiselongue having reeded front andback rails and highly scrolled end supports, all supported onoutswept sabre legs carved withbell flowers, a central patera andopen acanthus leaf terminatingin lion’s paw feet.France, circa 1810

Height: 34 in (86 cm) Width: 71 in (180 cm) Depth: 261/2 in (67 cm)

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A WILLIAM AND MARYGATELEG TABLE

This is a rare black and gilt-Japanned oval table, with a twin-flap top decorated with exoticwater birds and river landscapes,one with a rider, on fluted andstepped columnar legs joined by a moulded stretcher, the top cradled to the underside.England, circa 1700

Height: 291/2in (75cm)Width (open): 571/2in (146cm)Depth: 471/2in (121cm)

PROVENENCEThe Earl Poulett, Hinton House,Somerset; sold Sotheby’s 1 November 1968, lot 38 (toMallett for £1400). The PrescottCollection; sold to Christie’s NewYork, 31 January 1981, lot 316 (toMallett for $28,000).Aquired from Mallett, 19 February 1981.

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108 A LOUIS XVISATINWOOD COMMODE

A late 18th century satinwoodcommode having three drawers,each inlaid with brass andtulipwood stringing. The sidesare framed by column pilasters,with brass flutes surmounted by further brass ornament, allsupported by topie feet withmachined brass collars andsabots. The commode retains its original white marble top and pierced brass gallery.France, circa 1795

Height: 381/2in (98cm) Width: 51in (130cm)Depth: 23in (59cm)

The design of this commode is typical of furniture from thelate Louis XVI period, featuringstraight, fluted columns, minimalornamentation and a naturalwood finish.

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A PAIR OF CHARLES XLAMPS

A pair of Charles X bronze andormolu column patent oil lampswith gilt foliate capital andreeded stem, bearing the tradelabel Gagneau Faubourg St Denis,No 17, Paris. Retaining theoriginal Carcel patent clockworkoil delivery mechanisms. Now wired for electricity andmounted with pleated silkshades.France, circa 1825

Height: 36in (91cm)Diameter: 21in (54cm)

The Carcel lamp was invented in1800 by the clock maker BertrandGuillaume Carcel (1750-1812). It consists of a lamp lit withvegetable oil via a pump drivenby a clockwork mechanismwound up by a key. Theclockwork kept the delivery of oil steady and constant for almost ten hours. Themechanism was updated andimproved by Fauchet in 1837.

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110

A PAIR OF BERLINPORCELAIN VASES

A superb pair of early 19thcentury Berlin porcelain vases,each decorated on both sideswith circular panels simulatingmicro-mosaic depicting doves,swans and a hound, on a creamground, the urns and stemsrichly gilded throughout andraised on simulated lapis bases,with blue sceptre mark andinitials KPM and eagle stencilledin manganese.Berlin, circa 1825

Height: 12in (31cm)

These magnificent vases arerepresentative of the flourishingof the Berlin PorcelainManufactory in the reign ofFriedrich Wilhem III during thepost-Napoleonic era. At this timethere was a great programme of civic and private building inboth Potsdam and Berlin and theoutput of the porcelain factorycelebrated this era with views of the palaces and other greatlandmarks of both cities.Classical urn forms proliferatedbut what makes these particularvases so unusual is that, insteadof the topographical views, thedecorated panels depict small

scenes in imitation of the Italianrevival of Roman micro-mosaics,a further reflection of theAntique. The mosaics arecharming pictures of swans on a river and three doves perchedaround a casket on one vase anda hound seated by a pedestalsupporting a burner, with ananchor and an urn of flowers onthe other, all in minute detail.

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112 SCOTTISH SCHOOL, 18TH CENTURY

Portrait of John, 20th Earl of Crawford and Lindsay

Full-length, in a red and yellowcostume, holding his gun, in alandscapeOil on canvas84 x 55in (213cm x 140cm)

John, 20th Earl of Crawford and4th Earl of Lindsay (1702-1749)was the son of John, 19th Earl ofCrawford (died 1713/14) and hiswife Amelia (died 1711), daughterof James Stewart, Lord Douneand widow of Alexander Fraser of Strichen. He married Lady JaneMurray (1730-1747) daughter of James 2nd Duke of Atholl. The couple eloped and marriedon 3 March 1747. His wife died of fever on the Continent withina year of their marriage and theyhad no children.

He studied at the Universityof Glasgow and the MilitaryAcademy of Vaudeuil, Paris. Hewas elected Fellow of the RoyalSociety in 1732. In 1733 he wasmade a gentleman of the bed-chamber to Frederick Prince of Wales. He was elected as arepresentative peer in 1732 and became a loyal supporter of Robert Walpole.

He won greater renown as a soldier than as a politician.He joined the Austrian armyunder Prince Eugene in 1735,distinguishing himself at thebattle of Claussen in October ofthat year. He fought against theTurks and the Tartars under thecommand of Marshall Münnich.He was admired for hishorsemanship and his skill with

a sword. He re-joined theAustrian army under MarshallWallis and was severely woundedin the left thigh at the battle of Krotza on 22 July 1739.

He was made Colonel of The Highland Regiment in 1739which became the Black Watch.In December 1740 he becameColonel of the Horse GrenadierGuards. He fought at the battleof Dettingen 16 June 1743 in the Pragmatic army under JohnDalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair when he commanded a brigadeof cavalry. After the battle hewas made a knight banneret byGeorge II and Brigadier Generalin 1744.

He served under William,Duke of Cumberland in theSouthern Netherlands and wonpraise at the battle of Fontenoyon 13 April 1745, for his coveringof the retreat. He was made aMajor-General in May of thatyear.

Following the Jacobite risingin Scotland, he commanded6,000 Hessian troops andoccupied Perth. His subsequentretreat threatened Cumberland’slines of communication and afterurging more leniency to theHighlanders after the battle ofCulloden and being described by the Duke of Cumberland as

‘arrant Highland mad’ both menagreed he should leave Scotland.

He fought at the battle of Roncoux in the SouthernNetherlands (5 October 1746), and escaped capture byimpersonating a French General.He was made Colonel of the25th Foot and the Scots Greysand Lieutenant-General inSeptember 1747.

He died in Upper BrookStreet, London on 24 December1749 and was buried in Scotlandnext to his wife in the familyvault at Ceres in Fife. Accordingto Horace Walpole he died after a large dose of laudanum takenwhile depressed and after thewound in his leg had re-openedfor the 17th time. He wassucceeded by his kinsmanGeorge Lindsay, 4th ViscountGarnock. Known as the ‘GallantEarl’, a celebratory biography by Richard Bolt was published in 1753 and re-published in 1769.The Duke of Cumberland said ofhim “if his head was as good ashis heart His Majesty would nothave had a better officer in hiswhole army.”

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114

Outer left and rightA PAIR OF GEORGE III CANDLEVASESA pair of ormolu-mounted andwhite marble candle vases, thebody joined by foliate swansneck handles, mounted onstepped bases with ball feet. By Matthew BoultonEngland, circa 1790

Height: 6.5in (16.5cm) Width: 5.3in (13.5cm)

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MiddleA PAIR OF CANDLE VASES A pair of ormolu-mounted andwhite carrara marble candlevases, with a band of guillochearound the top and raised onwhite marble pedestals. ByMatthew BoultonEngland, circa 1790

Height: 7.5in (19.0cm) Width: 4.5in (11.5cm)

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Second left and second from rightA PAIR OF GEORGE III ORMOLUCANDLE VASESThe attenuated urn shaped vaseswith foliate lids headed by foliatefinials, with foliate bases raisedon polished plinths hung withgarlands and standing on ballfeet. By Matthew Boulton.England, circa 1790

Height: 8.1in (20.5cm) Width: 2.6in (6.5cm) Depth: 2.6in (6.5cm)

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THREE PAIRS OF MATTHEW BOULTON CANDLE VASES


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Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) isarguably the individual with thegreatest historic significanceassociated with Birmingham and the production of exquisiteobjects of virtue, he was also the founder of the first mint andestablished the Assay offices inboth Birmingham and Sheffield.Matthew Boulton was the largestEuropean employer of the periodwith over 800 people working inthe Soho mint and metalworkshops.

His clients whom includedKing George III and Catherine the Great of Russia, were

supplied with some of finestitems of exceptional quality thatwere ever produced in the 18thcentury. Boulton’s repertoire of ornament was drawn frombooks, models borrowed fromother makers, artefacts,architects and indeed anyonewho suited his aims. He set outto rival the French bronziers whohad mounted all sorts of chinawith gilt mounts, but rather thanuse china bodies, he preferred touse raw materials sourced fromnearer to home.

Matthew Boulton achieved inhis gilt metal objects a dignified

sophistication quite different toFrench ormolu pieces. Boulton’staste was emblematic of therefined English neo-classicalperiod, as typified by thearchitect Robert Adam; hisrepertoire displays a very special glory derived from theextraordinary impetus of neo-classical inspiration that arose in the European decorative arts from the 1760’s onwards.

The range of his productsincluded candle vases, perfumeburners, clock cases, watchstands, candlesticks, ewers,girandoles, sconces and many

other fine objects. But the vastmajority were candle vases andperfume burners as are shownhere in this fine and exemplarygroup.

“Methinks Public gratitudeshould erect a Column to thememory of the First engineer,Artist and manufacturer that everexisted whose Ingenuity andperseverance enriched hisCountry beyond the powers ofcalculation; and the place shouldbe called Boultonia, or Boulton’s-Town” (J. H. Reddell to MatthewBoulton)


116


A WALNUT SIDE TABLEIN CHINESE STYLE

A very rare Italian mid-18thCentury Walnut demi-lune side table, the moulded topsupported on cabriole legs, thefrieze embellished with stylisedclouds in the Chinese style, withshaped, moulded stretcher andresting on ball and claw feet.Italy, circa 1760

Height: 32in (82cm)Width: 391/2in (100cm)Depth: 15in (38.5cm)

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A SET OF SEVEN BRASSWEIGHTS AND AYARDSTICK

A set of 7 brass weights and an imperial yardstick, markedcounty of Kent and stampedwith the seals of George IV,William IV and Queen Victoria.England, circa 1826

Height (tallest): 12in (31cm)

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A BOAT-SHAPEDJARDINIERE

A highly unusual and rare boat-shaped jardinière, the woodenform grained and lacquered andfurther enriched with brass inlayand mouldings, with two castbrass entwined snake handles,fitted with a modern brass liner. Baltic, circa 1740

Height with stand: 331/2in (85cm) Height: 18in (45cm)Width: 441/2in (113cm)Depth: 10in (25cm)

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120 MALLETT PLCDIRECTORS

The Lord Daresbury* ChairmanGiles Hutchinson Smith Chief ExecutiveMichael Smyth Osbourne Financial DirectorJames Heneage*Henry Neville Thomas Woodham-Smith

*Non executive

MALLETT & SON (ANTIQUES) LTD141 New Bond StreetLondon W1S 2BSTelephone +44 (0)20 7499 7411Fax +44 (0)20 7495 3179

Giles Hutchinson Smith Chief ExecutiveThomas Woodham-Smith Managing DirectorMichael Smyth Osbourne Financial DirectorRichard Cave DirectorFelicity Jarrett Associate DirectorNicholas Wells Associate DirectorJoao Magalhaes

JAMES HARVEY BRITISH ART15 Langton StreetLondon, SW10 0JLTelephone/ Fax +44 (0)20 7352 0015Email: [email protected] www.jamesharveybritishart.com

James Harvey Director

MALLETT INC929 Madison Avenue, at 74th StreetNew YorkN.Y. 10021Telephone 001 212 249 8783Fax 001 212 249 8784

Henry Neville PresidentJustin Evershed-MartinEleni Antoniou

Telephone +44 (0)20 7495 5375Fax +44 (0)20 7495 3197Email: [email protected]

Alison Sachs Managing DirectorEleonore Halluitte Production Manager

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.mallettantiques.com

Email: [email protected]

Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd 2009Designed by Sinclair CommunicationsPrinted in England by BAS Fine Art Printers

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