A fine Regency ebony-inlaid mahogany breakfront bookcase in the manner of George Oakley circa 1810

The Property of a Lady, Christie's London, June 25, 1981, lot 127.
With Jeremy, Ltd., London
The Property of a New York Private Collector, Christies, New York, April 15, 2005, lot 175

Overall very good condition; beautifully made with solid mahogany doors veneered with mahogany; lovely color and patina; usual minor nicks, scratches and wear to extremities consistent with age and use.
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.

With extensive premises in Bond Street and the City, Oakley undertook commissions for a wide and distinguished circle of patrons, including the Prince Regent, for whom he worked at Carlton House. During a career spanning over half a century he supplied both furniture and upholstery for the Mansion House and the Bank of England, as well as private clients such as the banker Thomas Baring, Lady Cotton of Madingley Hall, Cambridgeshire, and Edward, Lord Lascelles, for whom he worked at Harewood House, Hanover Square. A pioneer in the use of 'Buhl' inlay, Oakley established himself as one of the most original and innovative designers of the period, and his showrooms in Bond Street became a mecca for fashionable society. As early as 1799 he was granted a royal warrant after receiving a visit from Queen Charlotte and other members of the royal family, on which occasion, it was reported, '... her MAJESTY, the Duke and Duchess of YORK, and the PRINCESSES, &c., highly approved of the splendid variety which has justly attracted the notice of the fashionable world' (Morning Chronicle, May 1799, quoted in Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1600-1840, 1986, p.658). In 1801 the Journal des Luxus und der Moden noted 'everyone of taste and discrimination' is 'making purchases at Oakley's, the most tasteful of London's cabinet-makers'.

The elegant Grecian style of this bookcase, with its pediment flanked by acroteria, relates to a bookcase by George Oakley and supplied to Charles Madryll Cheere of Papworth Hall, Cambridgeshire in 1810, sold, Christie’s, London, December 1, 1977, lot 150.  The form also relates to a design of a wardrobe by George Smith, found in A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, London, 1808, plate. 133. (fig.1)

See lot 145 for a cabinet of similar form.