A set of six George II walnut dining chairs

in the manner of Giles Grendey, with pierced carved backs, stuffed seats and leaf-carved cabriole legs, together with a later pair of armchairs, made to match, restorations (8)

These three lots were in the possession of Helen Cuninghame MBE, later Lady Ailsa, at Hensol House and were subsequently bequeathed to Lady Henderson in 1959 and have thence passed through the family by descent.  Each item is variously listed in the inventories of Hensol House in 1928 and 1958 the details of which can be found below.

In `country house' condition. Some loose joints. Two chairs have replaced rear legs and uprights. All have old worm damage particularly to the shoes ( adjacent to the splat) and also with some cracks and breaks in the shoes. One has repaired splat which has visible screws to the reverse. Two have repaired breaks to the top of the uprights with some patching and plugging. Extensive re-railing. One chair lacking a carved spandrel to the side.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present set of chairs is of a form which relates to a group of chairs traditionally identified as being the work of Giles Grendey, d.1780. Grendey appears to have been one of the most prolific 'Cabinet-Maker and Chair-Makers' working in London. His business was obviously substantial and, although few documents have survived detailing his commissions and clients, a large number of pieces retain his trade label, allowing other pieces to be attributed to him on stylistic grounds. He is recorded as having an extensive export, one of his notable commissions being for the Duke of Infantando, Lazcano, Spain, some eighty pieces of scarlet and gold japanned furniture having survived at the Castle until the 1930s. Many of these retained his trade label, and others were stamped with the initials of his workmen, some traceable to his recorded apprentices.

Two examples illustrated in P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1954, rev. ed. p.277, figs. 157 and 158, showing a walnut and parcel-gilt armchair in the collection of the Kunstindustrimuseet, Oslo and another example in the Donaldson Collection both of which have backs closely related to the present examples. The unusual crest rail also features on a set of six chairs likely to have been commissioned in the 1740s by John, 2nd Earl Poulet (d.1764) commissioned for Hinton House, Somerset and subsequently sold Sotheby`s London, 1st November 1968, lot 58. These chairs were attributed to Grendey on the basis of another set of chairs, labelled by Grendey which have the same form of leg to the Hinton House set. These are illustrated in Christopher Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840, Leeds, 1996, figs. 437 and 438. This set was sold again by Sotheby`s in 1975 and now forms part of the collection of John Gerstenfeld, Washington, illustrated in Edward Lennox-Boyd, Masterpieces of English Furniture, The Gerstenfeld Collection, London, 1998, pl.85. Further examples, attributed to Giles Grendey, including a chair back settee which relate closely to the present examples are illustrated and discussed in Lucy Wood, The Upholstered Furniture in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, 2008, 2 vols., vol. 1 pp. 264-279 and also see Sotheby`s London, Arts of Europe, 3rd of July 2012, lots 51-54.