A large George III giltwood sofa circa 1775, attributed to Thomas Chippendale

with a bay leaf carved frame, the padded and dished back with a festooned medallion and tablet crest, the padded arms with serpentine uprights above a cushioned seat and shaped rail on six fluted turned tapering legs with guilloche collars and two plain rear turned tapering legs, now upholstered in a colourful urn and cut velvet flower pattern, on later castors

Christian, Lady Hesketh;
sold Easton Neston house sale, Sotheby's, 17-19 May 2005, lot 177, where acquired by current owner

John Kenworthy-Browne, 'Easton Neston, Northamptonshire: 2', The Connoisseur, September-December 1964, p.142;
Christian, Lady Hesketh, 'Easton Neston, Nicholas Hawksmoor's Baroque Creation in Northamptonshire', Architectural Digest, January 1991, p.144, shown in situ in the Tapestry Bedroom

In good overall condition. There are some minor restorations and repairs, the central leg is a later addition as are the castors. The sofa has been re-gilt. The back legs are not gilt consistent with original construction.
"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."

Designed in the neo-classical taste, the attribution of this sofa to Thomas Chippendale is based on its close relationship to a number of similar documented chairs and sofas which have the same profile and carved decorative detail. It would have originally formed part of a larger suite which would have included further sofas and chairs, but as yet these have not been traced. The various elements of the carving, particularly the overlapping bay-leaf ornament on the seat frame appears on suites of seat furniture supplied to both Brocket Hall and to Nostell Priory, whereas the distinctive trumpet-form fluted leg with variant ornamented collars appear on a suite supplied to Egremont House, London, or Petworth House, Sussex; the husk-draped tablet on the seat rail is similar to that on a pair of sofas at Newby Hall. The most curious, and seemingly unique, part of the design is the profile of the back; in all other recorded examples these are arched at the centre, the present example being curved downwards. The centre tablet is unusually set below the carved frame of the back and surmounted by a husk festooned medallion which is a variant to that on the Brocket Hall suite.