An important and rare George II mahogany games table circa 1750

the rectangular hinged top with turret form front corners above a conforming frieze centered by a pierced foliate panel above a gadrooned apron raised on acanthus-carved cabriole legs headed by stylized shells and ending in paw feet.

Eric Moller, Thorncombe Park, Surrey

Sold, Sotheby's, London, The Moller Collection from Thorncombe Park, Surrey, November 18, 1993, lot 57

R. W. Symonds, Furniture Making in Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century England, 1955, p. 137, pls. 172 and 173

Beautiful color and surface, superb carving; nice proportions; back legs fully carved. Overall very good condition; the green baize lined surface replaced; the solid mahogany top with a mahogany veneer with some thin age cracks and with one very thin long age crack to the back edge; some old stains and light sun fading in places and with a very small area of perishing to the finish; back legs each with a large old chip, now worn away) to the tip of the acanthus leaf; the front legs with small old chip (now worn away) to the tips of the acanthus leaf; the right side frieze with old repaired break to the C-scroll; the toes with some scuffs and bruises; the back outer rails made of solid mahogany and with a mahogany veneer to the back; some minor old worm damage to the interior rails. Top with minor parishing to finish to right side and with an area of parishing to the left side approximately 1 inch in diameter. The top would benefit from mild cleaning and wax. Overall with some old scratches, marks, 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.

The present table with its pierced foliate acanthus frieze and gadrooned apron, rocaille and acanthus carved legs with paw feet embodies the English rococo style of the late 1750s, a style which Mayhew and Ince were keen to capture in their The Universal System of Household Furniture issued between 1759 and 1762, especially after Thomas Chippendales hugely successful The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director issued in 1754, 1756, and 1762.  The present table is similar to a design for a card table, plate LXIII in The Universal System with the almost identical rocaille carved corners and a very similar handling of the carved acanthus leaves to the frieze.  The difference in the present lot to the design is that the frieze is pierced and is anchored by a strong gadrooned apron which lends weight to the light and airy frieze.  The paw feet are also a remnant of a heavier rococo closer to Palladian and baroque furniture of the 1720s, 30s and 40s.

In many ways this piece seems to be an experiment in new rococo design in England, noting the continued use of the paw feet, C-scrolls to the ends of the frieze and the symmetry of the frieze.  This is very different from the rococo of the 1760s with asymmetrical use of motifs and the more free-flowing carving seen in chairs, mirrors and pier tables championed by designers like Chippendale, Matthias Lock, and Thomas Johnson.  Nevertheless, the use of beautiful timber, the excellent proportions and the carving as well as the clever design of the pierced frieze contribute to the success of the design of the present piece.