An important George III mahogany library table attributed to Thomas Chippendale circa 1765

bearing a printed and manuscript label: J. GRAVES & SON,/ 294 to 312 MOSELEY ROAD / BIRMINGHAM / Lewis 30/7/31 76

Sold, Sotheby's, London, February 10, 1989, lot 171
Sold, Sotheby's, New York, October 16, 1993, lot 435
Sold, Christie's, New York, October 21, 1999, lot 109, from the Collection of Joseph and Laverne Schieszler

Leather inset with scratches and marks consistent with wear and age. Top veneer framing inset with losses and patches; scratches and abrasions throughout; one corner with a 1 inch piece of moulding missing; another corner with a moulding that is partially detached and loose. Vertical age cracks to drawer fronts with most of them around the locks and many with infill; one drawer handle is detached but present. One side handle is missing; one side moulding is slightly loose where it has cracked; some vertical age cracks with infill to the sides. The rectangular panels on the pedestals have age cracks along the construction seams of the molded panels; interior drawers are in good condition with typical surface scratches. Base with typical scratches and scuffs with one chipped corner.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The design for this important mahogany library table is closely related to plate LXXXIV shown in Chippendale's Director of 1762. Dated 1760, the engraving illustrates the overall profile of the present desk together with almost identically designed carving to the apron below the central drawer. The door panels to the pedestals are shown with alternate designs, one carved with an oval wreath of palm leaves, the other with a carved rococo cartouche centered by a key-hole, whereas the present example has rectangular figured panels within molded frames, the corners with foliate clasps centered by cabochons. In other respects, the design is identical, with the finely constructed re-entrant corners and conforming stepped molded plinth. The piece retains its original locks, all of which have S-shaped keyholes, an unusual feature which appears on a number of documented pieces by Chippendale including a library bookcase supplied to Sir Penistone Lamb for the library at Brocket Hall (Gilbert op. cit. figs. 77, 80 and 267), and on the Martin library table (see:Sotheby's, New York, October 21, 2004). Features of the present table which appear on other tables including the one formerly at Harewood House and now at Temple Newsam, the Nostell Priory table and the Martin table, are the construction of the center drawer, the carving appearing to be an integral part of the complete construction of the frieze and the complicated construction of the inset corners.    

See:
Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director, London, Third Edition, 1762, plate LXXXIV, dated 1760
R. Edwards and M. Jourdain, Georgian Cabinetmakers, London, 1946, p. 126, fig 76, for a library table of the same design, but with more elaborate carving
C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, figs. 77, 80, 267