A fine and rare George II mahogany and parcel-gilt marble top sideboard table Circa 1730

the verde antico marble rectangular top with molded edge above a conforming concave molded frame carved with leaftips and a gadrooned apron centered by a lion's mask, the satyr-mask-carved carbriole legs headed by foliate-carved scrolled brackets continuing to long acanthus leaves and ending in claw-and-ball feet. Re-gilt.

M. Harris and Sons, London

R. W. Symonds, The Present State of Old Furniture, 1921, fig. 57

M. Harris and Sons, A Catalogue and Index of Old Furniture and Works of Decorative Art, part II, n.d., p. 186, F2090

Beautiful quality and carving; fine proportions; marble top with age and possibly the top illustrated in the M. Harris catalogue from the 1930s; restored condition and now with a glossy finish; later gilding and now with a glossy finish; the marble top with repaired break to back left corner; minor chips and wear to edges and with minor surface scratches; the later varnish to the table with a brown stain color especially to the leaf-tip carved frieze, the cartouche and the feet; central cartouche with a replacements to left leaf tip but otherwise the table appearing to retain most of its original carving; separations at joints to frieze, some with shims; back left foot with inpainting to toes; inpainting and staining around edges of carving; overall with old marks, scratches, scuffs and bruises.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This fine table illustrates the manner in which the artistry of the carver in wood became more prominent in the final years of George I's reign and the early years of the reign of George II. The rise of the Palladian style of William Kent and the nascence of the rococo required not only larger forms but also bolder decorative detail.  During the reign of George I the wooden frames of both tables and mirror, although embellished with applied foliate carvings, relied far more on designs carved in low relief on the flat tops, molded friezes and the plainly formed cabriole legs. These details, which invariably included strap-work ornamented with arabesques, were drawn and carved into a thick layer of gesso which was then gilded and highly burnished.  Amongst the cabinetmakers whose work exemplifies this style were John Belchier (fl. 1717-d. 1753), Elizabeth Gumley (1674-d.1751) and her son John (1691-1727), who were in partnership with James Moore (c. 1670-d. 1726) after 1714 for Royal commissions.  Moore, 'oracle' to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, at Blenheim, is probably the best documented cabinet-makers working in this manner.

Several of the details incorporated in the gesso work of the period are repeated on the frame of the present table including the flat carving of the leaves, the leafy tendrils on the scrolled brackets and the satyrs' heads.  However, those on the present table are fully carved out of wood; the missing layer of gesso would only have been lightly applied to fill the grain and form a smooth surface for burnishing the gold leaf. Similarly, the satyrs' masks are far more deeply carved than similar masks by Moore, such as the table bearing the cipher of the Marquis of Hartington, circa 1728, now in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire (See: Oliver Brackett, Encyclopedia of English Furniture, 1928, p. 101). It is also interesting to compare the claw and ball feet of the present table to a stand for a gesso coffer, probably circa 1720, at Boughton House, Northamptonshire supplied to Ralph, Earl of Montagu by Moore. As with the present table, the 'bones' of each talon are individually formed in a naturalistic and individual manner rarely recorded.

Another carved gesso chest attributed to Moore and formerly at Shobden Court, Hertfordshire, now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (See: Desmond Fitz-Gerald, Georgian Furniture, 1969, No. 11, w. 33-1948), is also supported on similar feet and has pilasters capped by related satyrs' masks.

Possibly the greatest attribute of this table is the superbly carved lion's head ornamenting the apron. Of a sculptural quality and almost carved in the round, it appears to be the precursor of the lion masks commonly found on Irish tables dating from the mid 18^th century. A similarly carved mask to the present one is recorded on anther table with simple cabriole legs, illustrated in Percy Macquoid's Age of Mahogany, p. 229, fig. 510. It also provides a further link with James Moore in that a pendant lion mask is found on a table by Benjamin Goodison (c. 1700-67), who almost certainly worked for Moore and succeeded him as the Royal cabinetmaker in 1726-1727 (See: G. Beard and C. Gilbert, The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds: W.S. Maney and Sons Ltd. 1986, pp 351-354).  This table is supported on a frame in the manner of William Kent, the overall strength of the frame of the present table being more closely related to the slightly later work of Matthias Lock (c. 1710- d. 1765). A group of manuscript drawings by Lock in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum London includes a number of designs for pier tables, their slab tops being supported on heavy cabriole legs carved with satyrs' masks at the knees and supported on paw feet.

A larger table with related carving was sold in these rooms, October 18, 2006, lot 286.