A pair of Late George III carved giltwood and gesso day beds circa 1800, the design attributed to James Wyatt

with a bolster cushion, later covered with silk needlework, the frames with reeded and paterae ornament to both sides

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

Inventory 1880, probably the `two lounging sofas with gilt legs and scroll tops', recorded in the Music Room
Illustrated 'Powderham Castle III', Mark Girouard, Country Life, July 18^th 1963, Vol. CXXXIV, p. 142 in the Second Library.

Lovely. Both of these day beds are in good condition. There are some minor losses to gilding throughout, consistent with age and use and possibly some very minior retouching. Both have visible old worm damage. Each scroll to the foot of each bed may have had rosettes or another decorative detail. Some age cracks and shrinkage along the lines of construction. Very minor differences to carving. There are sections of the apparently original upholstery in places. The embroidered motifs are worked in polychrome silk threads and are in very good condition. Charming details and very finely worked. The embroidery does not extend onto the vertical ends of the sofas, and is only on the scrolls, mattresses and the bolsters. The cream silk ground on which they have been worked varies in condition. The silk covering the drop in mattresses is in good overall condition, with no splits, but one with some small dark stains. The areas of the silk applied to the scrolls at both ends of each sofa, is in good condition on the inner sides respectively. There are however splits, running from back to front on the top edge of the scroll ends, which are also on the other sides of the scrolls. The silk to the bolsters is in good overall condition. All the silk has been covered in a fine white netting, which in the photograph makes the overall colour rather white, when in reality they are an attractive warm pearl creamy colour. The netting is fixed in areas to the scrolls with stitching, and in other areas is attached with and to velcro. Both mattresses have velcro attached to the netting, which fixes to the velcro attached to the inner frame of the sofas. The netting can be removed to the bolsters entirely as they have velcro and it would be possible to carefully remove the netting from the other areas without damaging the silk underneath. There is evidence of the cream silk coverings with the embroidered motifs, having been put on over the top of yellow damask underneath, which is visible in the far back corner at base of one of scrolls, where the present silk ground has come away. The braiding attached to the edging, is coming away in small areas, especially to the area at the back of the base of the scroll of one sofa (slightly visible in the photograph - to the back sofa). This can be reattached. The upholstery underneath the mattresses, has silk strips attached at the edgs, which is coming away in areas and can be fixed.
"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."

These were covered by Lady Venetia Devon, the current Earl's mother who discovered the finely worked early 19th century silk panels at the Castle.

Girouard in his Country Life article, op. cit. p. 142, writes that these may have been part of a commission by Marsh and Tatham and references these sofas with their 'contemporary white satin covers embroidered by some of the 13 Courtenay sisters'  as a part of that group. However, the distinctive heavily scrolled ends are paralleled on two giltwood settees, now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum and originally supplied by Gillows as part of a suite of seat furniture in 1805 to Colonel Hughes of Kimmel Park, Denbighshire (see Susan E. Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840, 2008, 2 vols., vol. I, p. 212, pl. 188).  The moulded frames and profile of splayed legs here also correlate to a pair of giltwood sofas supplied by Gillows circa 1806 to John Wynne of Coed Coch, Denbighshire, sold Christie's London, 18 April 1996, lot 229, which are also fitted with similar gilt-brass box shaped cappings and castors.