An ebonised Regency penwork sofa table circa 1810

with two drawers, one bearing a label: WALLSWORTH HALL, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, 12

The label on the drawer of the present lot suggests a provenance of Wallsworth Hall, Gloucestershire.

Wallsworth Hall was built by Samuel Hayward in 1740 as a wedding present to his wife, Catherine, who undertook a number of improvements. In 1903 the de Winton family sold the estate including its land, houses and farms to James Dorrington. The house was sold for the last time in 1943 to the Gloucester City Corporation and its contents were offered by local auctioneers Bruton Knowles. This lot did not form part of this sale and it is believed that it was gifted to a family relative after the death of Mary Ellen Dorrington.

Good overall original condition. There are some age cracks to the top with some minor warping and the decoration is flaking on one leg. Some minor old worm damage. Old marks and scratches
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The decorative technique known as penwork was a fashionable 18th and 19th century pastime for women. An article from Ackermann's Repository published in 1816 reported 'among the many pleasing recreations of the fair sex, is that of painting and ornamenting Tunbridge and fancy ware, which at once becomes an elegant and useful amusement...the figures are relieved in black, purposefully to shew the effect when finished on the work-box, cabinet or screen; and when varnished, has the appearance of ivory inlaid on ebony; a great variety of which, with the colour properly prepared, may be had at the Repository of Arts'.

A similar table is illustrated, Noel Riley, Penwork: A Decorative Phenomenon 2008, p.38. Riley states that the most likely source of inspiration for the artist would have been Thomas Hope's Costume of the Ancients (1809). Hope's own inspiration partly came from a style developed by John Flaxman and his illustrations for Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (1793) and Aeschylus' Tragedies (1795).