A George I gilt-gesso pier table circa 1720

the underside bearing an old label inscribed 232.

Overall good restored condition, the whole appears to retain the majority of its original gesso especially the top, the gilding refreshed, the legs with some regessoing, some minor nicks and wear to gilding and gesso at extremities, however the decoration is stable throughout, the top with very minor warpage.
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 finely carved gesso top and beautifully drawn masks to the legs is similar to the work of John Belchier, John Gumley and James Moore.  The fanciful masks to the knees are similar to a number of tables which have plumed headdresses including a pair of tables, now at Chatsworth, which bear the cipher WKH for William Marquess of Hartington and his wife Katherine who married in 1718. (see Adam Bowett, Early Georgian Furniture, 1715-1740, Woodbridge, 2009, p. 212, plate 5:25)  and a table made for the Earl of Arundell and his wife Eleanor. (Ibid, p. 212, plate 5:23) Often called ‘Indian’ masks described in modern texts, the masks probably derive from Renaissance examples as seen in sixteenth century Italian grotesques and used by French artists such as André-Charles Boulle, Jean Berain and Jean L Pautre which therefore influenced English ‘baroque’ designs as seen in this table.  (Ibid, p. 213).  Another table with similar masks from the Sir William H. Lever collection , sold at Sotheby’s, New York, Tom Devenish: The Collection, April 24, 2008, lot 20 ($170,000).

As Royal Cabinetmaker to King George I, James Moore the Elder of Nottingham Court, Short's Gardens, St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London, supplied furniture to a variety of members of the Royal Court, working from his earliest recorded commission in 1705 for the Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah until his death in 1726.  Moore was possibly originally apprenticed to Elizabeth Gumley (1674-d. 1751) and her son John (1691-1727).  The accounts of the Royal Palaces on October 2, 1702, record an entry noting the receipt by John Gumley of 'the Summe of Sixty pounds being in full for a looking-glass ....delivered for his late Majties [sic] use in the Year 1691'.  In 1714 they entered into partnership with James Moore, an association that continued until his death in 1726, although it is obvious from surviving documentary evidence that the partners frequently carried out individual commissions, besides those for the Royal Household.

One of Moore's major clients was Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, 'becoming as much involved with building work and the supervision of fitting out apartments as with cabinet making' at Blenheim Palace (Beard and Gilbert, The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986. pp. 618-619).  Although Duchess Sarah referred to Moore as her 'oracle', the large group of gesso-ornamented furniture in the collection at Blenheim is virtually undocumented and attribution has to be made on stylistic grounds.  The giltwood tables attributed to James Moore support much of his reputation, demonstrating a gallant style and utilization of a wide array of influences. His work draws from an awareness of English baroque architecture and from the influence of both oriental export and French styles. These inspirations combine to create Moore's characteristic carved and gilt patterns evident in the legs and frieze of his gilt gesso tables, which are employed with other elements for the attribution to Moore in the absence of an official signature.