Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865 - 1945)

manufactured by John P. White, Pyghtle Works, Bedford, oak and ebony inlaid, of angular shape, both side panels inlaid with swallows in low relief, the front centred by a fruitwood and pewter inlaid stylised flower, thought to be an angel's trumpet, flanked by further swallows, on rocking supports, with two cushions covered in period fabric possibly designed by Liberty & Co.

A cradle of this design is illustrated:
W. Shaw Sparrow, Hints on House Furnishing,  New York, 1919, n.p.
Wendy Kaplan, The Arts and Crafts Movement in Europe and America, New York, California, p. 63, fig. 2.48

For a comparable stylised floral motif see, 'The Studio' Yearbook of Decorative Art, 1906, p. 70

A charming piece of Arts and Crafts design. Of good overall appearance. Typical minor old marks and scratches in places. There is slight separation to the two boards of the headboard, as can be partially seen in the illustration. The gable roof, with a darker brown patina, appears to have been repolished. The roof is nailed in place, the nailheads covered by filler, partially lacking to one nail. To the right side of the roof a 2cm. scratch to the edge. One wing of a swallow on the left side of the left panel restored. Some nicks to the rocking supports. The mattress and the cushion have been re-upholstered in period fabric and of darker tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. Small hole to one side of the cushion. Of good structural condition, ready for display.
"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."

Born in Kent, Baillie Scott lived on the Isle of Man from 1889 until 1901, when he moved to Bedford, possibly to be within more convenient reach of John White, for whom he had been designing furniture since about 1895.

The design for this cradle, reproduced here, is illustrated in a contemporary catalogue of Furniture Made at the Pyghtle Works Bedford by John P. White, Designed by M.H. Baillie Scott, issued in 1901. The cradle is noted as Number 65 and was 'inlaid with ebony, pewter, and coloured woods'. It was available in three woods; mahogany, enamelled white with painted decoration and in the oak seen in the current lot, which was priced at £6. 17. 6.

Baillie Scott widely used the same swallow motif in his furniture and interior designs, including in stained glass windows and ceilings. Of particular note are the stained glass windows Baillie Scott designed in 1902 for the Music Room of the A. Wertheim commission in Berlin (illustrated The Studio, op.cit., fig. 156), and again in the design for the windows illustrated in Innen Dekoration (Darmstadt, 1902, p. 182) for a house in Mannheim, Germany. It has been suggested that the stylised flower to the front, with its hanging blossom, is an angel's trumpet, which has a pleasing resonance with the function of the lot, especially given that these flowers are also known as 'moon flowers', as they blossom at night.

The furniture from the 1901 catalogue was sold through Liberty's and also probably through the showrooms at 134 New Bond Street, which White had opened in the early years of the twentieth century.

For a further discussion of Baillie Scott's work see the following lot.