A pair of Victorian carved oak hall benches, circa 1840

in the manner of Richard Bridgens, the shaped backs ornamented with a crest, the carved moulded rectangular seats above a pierced and leaf-carved apron, on leaf-carved fluted legs

Good general condition. Old marks and scratches throughout consistent with age and use. Some age cracks to the apron on both sides of both benches. For further information on this Lot, please contact the English Furniture Department on 00 44 (0) 207 293-5470.
"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."

The design of these benches shows the strong influence of the architect Richard Bridgens who popularised the `Elizabethan' or `Old English Style' in a collection of designs published in 1838, Furniture with Candelabra and Interior Decoration . The carved strapwork decoration on the seats and also the use of oak is typical of this taste. The style was adopted by several other designers of the period among them, Thomas Hopper, Anthony Salvin, William Burn, and Thomas Willement, reaching its zenith in the riotous Tudor Gothic decoration of Harlaxton Manor, Lincolnshire, on which Salvin and Burn both worked at different times. In addition to the designs published by Bridgens, other works drew attention at this period to the attractions of late 16th century design, providing further inspiration for artist-craftsmen, including T.H.Clarke`s Domestic Architecture in the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and James I (1833), J.Hakewill`s Attempt to determine the Exact Character of Elizabethan Architecture (1835), C.J. Richardson`s Studies from Old English Mansions , and Joseph Nash`s The Mansions of England in the Olden Time (1839-49).