A George III mahogany sofa circa 1770, in the manner of Linnell

 the moulded serpentine back carved with beading and flat acanthus leaves, the rounded hand rests with acanthus and bellflowers, the square legs headed by paterae and carved with swags of bellflowers, on their original brass castors

The present settee shares stylistic elements with designs for seat furniture produced by the leading London cabinet-makers William and John Linnell: in particular the ubiquitous ball arm terminal and tapered square supports headed by paterae such as those seen on a suite sofa supplied to the Duke of Argyll for the drawing-room at Inveraray Castle circa 1773 (see Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham, William and John Linnell, Eighteenth Century London Furniture Makers, 1980, 2 vols., vol. II, p. 130, pls. 256-257).