A George III mahogany breakfront library bookcase circa 1770, in the manner of Thomas Chippendale

the upper section enclosing adjustable shelves, the central lower section with a pair of doors opening to reveal sliding trays flanked by small drawers, the flanking cupboards each with four drawers, with S-shaped keyholes to the doors

H. Blairman & Sons Ltd., 29th March 1945.

The locks on the present bookcase have distinctive S-shaped keyholes, which are almost exclusively associated with the work of Thomas Chippendale.  They appear most notably on the bookcases supplied around 1772 to Sir Penistone Lamb for the Library at Brocket Hall (Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Works of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol.II, figs. 77,80 and 267).  Furthermore an unprovenanced desk and bookcase illustrated op.cit. fig.89,  which Gilbert attributes to Chippendale on stylistic grounds, parallels the same combination of aforementioned key-holes and spandrel ornament found on the offered lot.