A Regency jacaranda and calamander crossbanded sofa table circa 1810, possibly by George Oakley

with a drawer and dummy drawer to each side

Probably supplied to William, 3^rd Viscount Courtenay, later 9^th Earl of Devon (1768-1835) and thence by descent.

Possibly Inventory 1835, `small sofa table' recorded in the inner Private Sitting Room.

Illustrated 'Powderham Castle', Country Life, April 4^th 1908, Vol. XXIII, p. 492 in the First Library.

Illustrated 'Powderham Castle II', Mark Girouard, Country Life, July 11^th 1963, Vol. CXXXIV, p. 83 in the White Drawing Room.

 

Generally in good condition. The top has a characteristic age crack running from front to back which will require attention. There are some minor losses to crossbanding and inlay. Both sides are rather faded.
"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 with its distinctive combination of exotic timbers and sophisticated design closely relates to the work of the leading London cabinet-maker George Oakley. In particular the calamander cross banding features on a dressing table supplied by Oakley to Charles Madryll Cheere of Papworth Hall, Cambridge, circa 1810, illustrated, R. Edwards and P. Macquoid, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 1954, rev. ed., 3 vols., vol. III, p. 232, fig. 26, sold Christie's London, Simon Sainsbury, The Creation of an English Arcadia, 18 June 2008, lot 274.

With extensive premises in Bond Street and the City, Oakley undertook commissions for a wide and distinguished circle of patrons, including the Prince Regent, for whom he worked at Carlton House. During a career spanning over half a century he supplied both furniture and upholstery for the Mansion House and the Bank of England, as well as private clients such as the banker Thomas Baring, Lady Cotton of Madingley Hall, Cambridgeshire, and Edward, Lord Lascelles, for whom he worked at Harewood House, Hanover Square. A pioneer in the use of 'Buhl' inlay, Oakley established himself as one of the most original and innovative designers of the period, and his showrooms in Bond Street became a mecca for fashionable society. As early as 1799 he was granted a royal warrant after receiving a visit from Queen Charlotte and other members of the royal family, on which occasion, it was reported, '... her MAJESTY, the Duke and Duchess of YORK, and the PRINCESSES, &c., highly approved of the splendid variety which has justly attracted the notice of the fashionable world' (Morning Chronicle, May 1799, quoted in Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1600-1840, 1986, p.658). In 1801 the Journal des Luxus und der Moden noted 'everyone of taste and discrimination' is 'making purchases at Oakley's, the most tasteful of London's cabinet-makers'.