A Victorian inlaid amboyna and marquetry centre table circa 1870, attributed to Jackson and Graham , stamped C S PREWITZ

the rectangular top with rounded ends and a drawer, inlaid with a central oval panel flanked by smaller panels bordered by scrollling foliage, the frieze with conforming inlay, the lock stamped CHUBB`S PATENT/ 57 ST PAULS CTYD/ LONDON, CHUBB & SON/ MAKERS TO/ HER MAJESTY/ 452424, on faceted tapering legs joined by a shaped stretcher

This piece is of exhibition quality. It has been refinished and now has a very high degree of polish. There has been some minor water damage to one end which could easily be restored. Minor age cracks and some wear to finish on ebonised mouldings to each end ot the top. The stretcher has been broken and rather crudely restored. An exceptionally fine table of exhibition quality. 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 present table exhibits a very high level of workmanship and is of outstanding quality. In spite of the unrecognised stamp for Prewitz, it is almost certainly the production of one of the leading London firms of the middle of the 19^th century.  An attribution to Jackson and Graham would seem to be entirely reasonable based on similarities to work by the firm. In particular the marquetry is very close to an example exhibited at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1867. That table was designed by Alfred Lorimer and made for Sir Alfred Morrison of Fonthill in Wiltshire. An engraving of the table is reproduced from the Art Journal Plate E84, p.201 "Great Exhibitions, London, New York, Paris and Philadelphia", Jonathan Meyer, Antique Collector's Club, Woodbridge 2006. There are also striking parallels of the design to the frieze on this table to those on a cabinet also designed by Lorimer for the same exhibition. (Plate E25, p.181 op. cit.)

The stamp for Prewitz remains something of a mystery. Jackson and Graham did employ upwards of 250 staff by the middle of the century and many of them were of foreign extraction. It is entirely possible that Prewitz was employed by the firm and it is by no means unique for craftsmen to stamp their work. It seems inconceivable that the name refers to a hitherto unrecorded firm, as work of this quality could hardly go unnoticed. 

Jackson and Graham were perhaps the leading London makers and decorator of the middle Victorian years. The firm was established in 1836 and was quickly recognised as one the most fashionable suppliers. They were responsible for the decoration of the dais erected for the royal family for the opening of the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace in 1851 and went on to exhibit widely, showing at Paris in 1855, London again in 1862, Paris in 1867 as we have seen, as well as at Vienna in 1873 and Paris again in 1878. The style of French Renaissance revival reflected in this table was very  popular until around 1870 when they adopted a more forward looking approach. Due to financial problems they ceased trading in 1882.