An important George III mahogany tea caddy-stand circa 1760, Manner of Mayhew and Ince

the circular top centered by a well fitted with an associated silver tea caddy, above a pierced gothic fretwork apron above an octagonal blind-fret-carved case above two tiers of cascading pierced fret aprons ending in a turned canopied turned knop, the top supported on conjoined C-scrolls on a tripartite blind-fret-carved base surmounted by an urn finial and raised on acanthus-carved pierced cabriole legs ending in scrolled toes; together with a George III silver tea caddy by William and Aaron Lestourgeon, London 1777, the tea caddy with a circular body engraved with Chinese characters within foliate engraved borders, the hinged circular top surmounted by a foliate molded and chased floral spray.  2 pieces.

Hotspur, London, 1969
Samuel Messer
Christie's London, The Samuel Messer Collection of English Furniture Clocks and Barometers, December 5, 1991, lot 82 illustrated

Nicholas Goodison and Robin Kern, Hotspur, Eighty Years of Antiques Dealing, London, 2004, pp. 56-57, fig. 6

Overall very good condition; beautiful carving and color to mahogany; some restorations to the fret-carved apron with some inpainting; restorations to canopied knop with some inpainting; one leg with very old repaired break at the center where the two C-scrolls meet; some minor losses to edges of blind fret carving to tripartite base; underside of tripartite base with an age crack; very minor chips to edges of scrolled toes; overall with some 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.

The present tea-caddy stand is executed in the mid 18^th century exuberant rococo style combining French rocaille and foliate acanthus with Chinese and Gothic fretwork supported on tiers of conjoined C-scrolls.  It combines a number of attributes from three designs for 'Tea Kettle Stands,' from Mayhew and Ince's, The Universal System of Household Furniture, plate XIV, including the pierced legs with scrolled toes which join at a similar base issuing conjoined C-scroll supports surmounted by fretwork galleries.  An almost identical kettle stand sold at Christie's London, January 31, 1981, lot 384 and was most probably made in the same workshop.

The partnership of John Mayhew and William Ince is described in Gilbert and Beard, The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, pp. 589-598, as 'one of the most significant, probably the longest lived but, as far as identified furniture is concerned, the least well documented of any of the major London cabinetmakers of the 18^th century.'  Following the celebrated success of Thomas Chippendale's The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director (first pub. 1754) the firm published their Universal System of Household Furniture in 1762, although it had been serialized between July 1759 and August 1760. In the absence of much documented furniture, this publication has engendered academic interest in the firm's activities. Yet despite the richly rococo, and half-Gothic, half-Chinese motifs that pervade The Universal System, the firm's known work has a neo-classical flavor, the firm being recorded as working with the architect Robert Adam on several notable commissions, including Coventry House, Piccadilly and, Croome Court for the 6th Earl of Coventry, Shelburne House, Audley End, Derby House and Sherborne Castle.  Nevertheless, one commission, including a 'Turkish Sofa,' side chairs and girandoles executed in the rococo style and engraved in The Universal Household, plate LXV for the Hon. Lady Fludyer, wife of Sir. Samuel Fludyer, Lord Mayor of London, 1761, is an example of the work the firm produced in the early 1760s.  It is interesting to note that Mayhew was apprenticed to William Bradshaw and Ince was apprenticed to John West of Covent Garden.  Bradshaw certainly was known as an excellent carver, producing rococo style furniture in mahogany, akin to designs found in The Universal System.  Upon West's death in 1758, the partnership of Samuel Norman, James Whittle and John Mayhew took over West's premises in November of that year. On December 25, Mayhew and Ince went into partnership, advertising for business in January 1759 at an address on Broad Street.  Whittle and Norman, like Bradshaw were also excellent carvers making ornate pieces many to the designs of Matthias Lock.  Both Mayhew and Ince had been trained by skilled carvers and must have produced many rococo style pieces like the present stand which coincided with their designs for furniture found in their publication.