A George I gilt gesso side table circa 1715, attributed to James Moore

the top profusely decorated with strap work and a central foliate rosette on a punched salmon spawn ground, with re-entrant corners, above a similarly decorated frieze with an acanthus carved and shell crested apron on cabriole legs headed by carved 'India masks' with scrolled and dolphin carved feet, bearing a Buckingham Palace inventory label to the underside inscribed in black ink 'Prince Michael'

Possibly acquired for Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942) and thence by descent to Prince Michael of Kent (b. 1942).
Acquired from Partridge Fine Art, London.

Overall in good restored condition. The two supportive blocks below to the front and back are probably later. There is a restored age crack to the centre of the table top, which is not noticeable from above. There are old marks and scratches throughout consistent with age and use.
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The tops of the legs of the current table are headed by plumed 'Indian' masks which can be compared to a gilt-gesso side table, at Treasurer’s House, York and formerly thought to be in the collection of the 1^st Duke Chandos, although it does not appear in the Cannons inventory of 1725 (illustrated Adam Bowett, Early Georgian Furniture, 1715-1740, Woodbridge, 2009, p 220, pl 5:38).

The application of mythical masks was another aspect of Continental influence on James Moore’s work, and these distinctive satyrs, sometimes described as ‘Indian’ masks because of their the plumed headdresses, actually have a Renaissance origin, occurring in 16^th century Italian grotesques and later adopted by French designers such as Bérain, Boulle and Le Pautre.

These masks are a recurring motif in Moore’s giltwood furniture, and although undocumented, a table at Chatsworth has marked affinities with the work of the Royal cabinet maker and is given to Moore, whose partner Gumley supplied a quantity of furniture to Chatsworth between 1702-1705 (fig. 3). This, and a table from Benacre Hall, Suffolk, which is closely allied to the Chatsworth table, all feature the ‘Indian’ mask motif. A related set of side chairs commissioned for Sir Richard Child 1^st Viscount Castlemaine later 1^st Earl Tynley, for the Drawing Room, Wanstead House, Essex are attributed to Moore and bear similarly carved masks.