A fine set of eighteen Regency ormolu-mounted brass-inlaid ebony and oak caned side chairs circa 1816-1818, Attributed to George Bullock

each square padded backrest within a brass-inlaid ebony banding and surmounted by a pair of flower-head form finials, the caned seat above a brass-mounted frame with flower-head bosses to the corners raised on ring-turned circular tapering reeded legs.  Together with a set of six later copies.  24 pieces.

by repute Don Pedro de Souza e Holstein, 1^st Duke of Palmela
by descent to Visconde de Torrãa and sold from the Rua do Sacramento a Laga, 24, Lisbon, by Silva's, on premises April 27-29, 1987
Christie's London, June 25, 1987, lot 173

Overall good restored condition; re-gilt. the first with restorations to the left and right side brass-inlaid bandings to the backrest; back right leg appear to have an old repaired break at the gilt-collar with some infilling to oak. Another with a thin age crack to interior side of back rail, but stable. Another with a crack to the plinth of top left finial, slightly loose. Another with lar chips to the gilding and gesso of front right leg; large chips and inpainting to gilding of front left leg. Another with old repaired break to center of back left leg and now with a plug; plug to top of each front leg at join with seat rail; some chips and losses to gidling of turned collars.
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 chairs were part of a suite of furniture which George Bullock reputedly supplied to Don Pedro de Souza e Holstein, 1^st Duke of Palmela (1781-1850).  Palmela fought under Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsular Wars and was one of Portugal's most important politicians and diplomats of the first half of the 19^th century.  He was Ambassador to the Court of St. James during the period when he possibly commissioned this suite of furniture some of which included a footstool, window seat, sofa, three pelmets, two pairs of torchères, bookcase, mirror, pair of commodes and the present eighteen dining chairs, which were sold at Christie's London, June 25, 1987, lots 171-181.  It appears that some or all of these pieces descended to the Visconde de Torrãa and sold from the Rua do Sacramento a Laga, 24 Lisbon, sold by Silva's on premises April 27-29, 1987.  However, according to the V&A online archives, some of the furniture which was sold at Christie's may have come from another source: 'Correspondence in the green catalogue reveals that the torcheres and other pieces sold at Christie's did not belong to the Duke of Palmela but belonged to the van Zeller family of Portugal. Carlos van Zeller inherited the Bullock furniture in 1914 from his parents and married Maria de Lancastre, granddaughter of the Duke of Palmela's daughter, Teresa, and the Count of Alcacovas. The Visconde Torraro (Luis de Lancastre) inherited the furniture from Maria, his sister, and Carlos van Zeller' (http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82134/torchere-candelabrum).

Palmela lived at the Portuguese Embassy, which was a great Georgian house at 74 Audley Street, until 1819 after he had been made Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and War, finally returning to Portugal in 1820 as he preferred London society.  He was very close friends with William Beckford, the hugely wealthy novelist, art collector and creator of Fonthill Abbey and letters exist between the two describing Beckford's visits to Palmela when he was living in the dubious Thomas Hotel, in Berkeley Square in between Palmela's leaving for Portugal.

The present chairs incorporate a standard foliate border which is seen on many pieces of Bullock furniture and has been found on a pair of doors at Storrs Hall, supplied to John Bolton by the Gandy-Bullock partnership in 1809-1810.  That these chairs are made of oak is also typical of Bullock's production at the time.