AN IMPORTANT GEORGE III INLAID MAHOGANY SERPENTINE SIDEBOARD TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS CHIPPENDALE CIRCA 1775

Age crack to top.

Frank Partridge, New York
Sold, Parke-Bernet Galleries, December 12-13, 1947, lot 371, illus.

Loan Exhibition of French and English Art Treasures of the XVIII Century in Aid of the A. W. V. S., Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York 1942

Illustrated: 
F. Lewis Hinckley, Hepplewhite, Sheraton & Regency Furniture, 1987, p. 115, fig. 226

Overall good condition, the top with a long age crack at the center running with the grain with areas of inpainting and with some smaller patched age cracks and some stress cracks, minor shrinkage and minor patches to cross-bandings, some vertical age cracks to veneers of frieze, small chip to carving of central carving of frieze with some very minor chips to veneer, slight separation at lines of construction at right canted corner of top, small wood fillet inserted to crack at front left canted corner, both back legs with replaced collar moldings probably matching those of the front legs, the back right leg with three replace moldings beneath the carved patera, each back leg previously with a molding to the back and now lacking; small chip to molded edge above front left foot, chip to fluting of back corner of back right leg, overall with some old marks, scratches, scuffs and bruises consistent with age and use.
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.

Thomas Chippendale includes simple designs for 'Sideboard Tables' in the three editions of The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director, 1754-1763. Chippendale was strongly influenced by the Neo-Classical designs of Robert Adam and working together with him 'for the same patrons on at least a dozen occasions. . . (although rarely to Adam's designs) . . .and Adam apparently regarded him as the most accomplished exponent of Neo-Classical furniture in London' (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. I, p. 97).

This superb serpentine sideboard table, with its exceptional carving and timber, shares characteristics with the documented work of Chippendale and probably dates later in his career, circa 1770.  Arguably, the most identifiable of these features is the ram's head capital with a husk wreath: different versions by Chippendale of this motif are seen on the gilt mounts of the Harewood House library table at Temple Newsam (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work ot Thomas Chippendale¸ 1978, vol. II, p. 244, fig. 446), a commode in the Lady Lever Art Gallery (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, p. 180-1, figs. ii, iii, v), a commode at Renishaw Hall (Gilbert, op. cit., p. 131 fig. 236)  and a giltwood pier table from 19, Arlington Street, London (Macquoid and Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 1954, vol. III, p. 296, fig. 63).  Chippendale used several other variations, including goats' heads with husk wreaths on a barometer at Nostell Priory (Gilbert, op. cit., p. 20 fig. 34), a pair of pier glasses at Harewood House (Gilbert, op. cit., p. 156, fig. 285), a pair of sideboard pedestals (Gilbert, op. cit., p. 194, fig. 352) and a pair of pier tables at Harewood House (Gilbert, op. cit., p. 261, fig. 477); and satyrs' masks with husk wreaths on a cellaret at Harewood House (Gilbert, op. cit., p. 80, fig. 125) and a pier table at Harewood House (Gilbert, op. cit., p. 260, fig.475).

The mahogany top of serpentine form with rosewood-crossbanded border has a guilloche-carved edge. The rosewood sideboard table at Harewood, designed by Robert Adam and executed by Thomas Chippendale also has a (brass) guilloche edge; the pedestal urns and cellaret made together with the table have either goats' head or satyrs' head masks hung with husk wreaths.  Additionally, the oval petal-carved patera within a pearl-beaded molding and ribbon-tied husk swagged festoons of the central panel and the circular petal-carved paterae within pearl-beaded moldings below the rams' heads and heading the hermed legs were devices used extensively by Chippendale on his furniture.