An important pair of George III giltwood and marble top pier tables circa 1775

almost certainly after a design by Robert Adam, each with a later rosso antico marble-veneered demilune top, each table with lamb's tongue-carved edge above a frieze carved with rosettes interspersed between gathered leaves and pendent palmettes, the breakfronted legs headed by rosettes above bucrania, beaded collars and long leaves continuing to fluted legs ending in long leaves above gadrooning and waisted square feet.  Re-gilt.

Very good restored condition; later gilding; beautifully carved; minor repairs to pendent elements of frieze; chips and losses to gilding, restorations; small cracks and losses to the C-scrolls joining pendant elements; some minor replacements to lambs-tongue moldings and composition elements; small chips to gilding of stiff-leaves to legs; one with loss to molding of back left leg at bottom; the other with one lambs-tongue molding loose but present and a loss to one lambs-tongue molding to back right corner; the associated marble tops with minor chips and wear to the edges and with minor scratches and wear to tops.
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.

With their surfaces of richly burnished gold, the Kluge tables reveal a close relationship with documented drawings by the leading 18^th century British architect Robert Adam for a table supplied to Robert Child for the Tapestry Room at Osterley Park.  The distinctive palmettes suspended from the freize appear on several pieces by Adam, notably the design dated March 18, 1775 in the Sir John Soane's Museum which is inscribed Table frame and Slab for the Tapestry room at Osterly [sic] and is listed as A rich Carved and gilt Elipitic Pier table frame with three painted figures on the rail in the 1782 inventory at Osterley.  The design consists of a marble top with neo-classical motifs in the colors characteristically used by Adam and the table frame shows the top with gilt guilloche edge above a lamb's tongue-carved edge and a frieze with rosettes and a guilloche, mounted with a central panel depicting a reclining female figure, the two flanking smaller panels depicting putti, each interspersed with palmettes and C-scrolls suspended from the bottom of the frieze.  The breakfronted legs are headed by bucrania above a beaded collar, a fluted panel, molding and long leaves, continuing to plain square legs ending in long leaves.  The stretcher is carved with a guilloche and is raised on turned tapering feet.  The design differs from the table made for Osterley: there are more suspended palmettes, foliate-carved capitals have been added below the bucrania, the legs are fluted and the feet are square.

Of smaller form than the pier table in the Tapestry Room at Osterley and without stretchers, the present tables have an almost identical frieze of rosettes interspersed with bunched leaves.  Palmettes joined by C-scrolls are suspended from the frieze but there are no painted panels to the centers of the front and sides.  The carving to the legs that is very similar but differs slightly: the Osterley table legs have a bucrania above foliate-carved capitals, not leaves, as with the Kluge tables.

There is another Adam Design for a Table-frame for the Sideboard in the Eating-room at Osterley dated 1767 with similar suspended palmettes to the frieze, illustrated in the Eating Room at Osterley by Maurice Tomlin, Catalogue of Adam Period Furniture, 1982, p. 26, fig. C/4.

Although it is impossible to determine the maker of these tables, the association of John Linnell with the Child family is well documented through his drawings and indicates that he was employed at Osterley Park. Osterley was one of the properties belonging to Sir Robert Child that passed with its contents to his granddaughter, the Countess of Jersey, on his death.

In 1767, Sir Robert Child also purchased 38, Berkeley Square, formerly the Duke of Manchester's house and virtually adjacent to Linnell's establishment, and as such, the proximity would have made Linnell a convenient choice to furnish his various properties.  Given the strong resemblance of the present tables to that of the table in the Tapestry Room at Osterley, it is possible that these tables were made for Robert Child's house at 38, Berkeley Square, although an 18^th century inventory for this house does not survive in order to determine a possible provenance.