A Victorian rosewood, porelain mounted, thuyawood and marquetry side cabinet, by Holland & Sons, circa 1865

with a central breakfront door elaborately inlaid with ivory and ebony with a central caryatid holding ribbon-tied garlands of husks supporting an oval panel painted with a putti waking Cupid, flanked by portrait heads of Chaucer and Shakespeare, supported by griffins, the frieze with gilt-bronze cornucopia and foliage, with canted corners, the panelled sides set with elaborate musical and artistic trophies, the whole veneered with burr-yew within sycamore, boxwood and walnut crossbandings, the back stamped M H below a crown and with an old distressed label, the top of the door stamped Holland & Sons, the inside with an ivory plaque Holland & Sons, 23 Mount St. London

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra, probably for Marlborough House, London;
The cabinet left the Royal Collection possibly following the refurbishment in 1901 by the Prince of Wales later King George V;
Thence by descent until sold Sotheby's, London, 11 March 1994, lot 95;
Sold Christie's, London, 19 March 2008, lot 100, where acquired by the present owner

Arthur H Beavan, Marlborough House and its Occupants Past and Present, London, 1896;
Arthur Beavan's description of the Great Drawing Room at Marlborough House states that it included a pair of fine side cabinets which cost '£300 a-piece' (Beavan, op. cit. p. 28)

An attractive piece in reasonable condition. The top pediment has several losses to the veneers and there is a chip to the left front corner of the top. Minor loses to inlay. The brass mounts are all intact but are tarnished and would benefit a clean overall. There is some lifting to the mounts to the border of the front and side panels which will need professional attention. Two mounts, one on each return, appear to have been removed and re-attached. Holland & Sons label to the inside of the cupboard door and there is an inventory number on the right return. The feet with scuffing and minor losses and overall there are minor marks and scratches 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. Illustrations in the catalogue may not be actual size. Prospective purchasers are reminded that, unless the catalogue description specifically states that a stone is natural, we have assumed that some form of treatment may have been used and that such treatment may not be permanent. Our presale estimates reflect this assumption.
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.

These two cabinets are characteristic of the exceptional quality of cabinet-making which Holland & Sons employed during the 1860s and 1870s which a contemporary critic described as being able to 'more than hold its own with anything made abroad' (Bevan, op. cit. p. 28) Conceived in the 'Louis seize' manner, the style of this cabinet is similar to work by the Royal èbèniste Riesener with a magnificent use of marquetry and ormolu mounts celebrating the Prince and Princess as patrons of the arts and industry in Britain.

The fashion for porcelain mounted furniture was of French inspiration, having been pioneered at Sèvres in the mid-18th century. The porcelain roundels to the front of the cabinets is decorated in a technique known as en camaieu which was a 19th century development of the pâte-sur-pâte process. Involving the layering of tints of a single colour to create an illusion of a higher relief than there is in reality, the process was developed by Louis Marc Solon who defected from Sèvres to Minton at Stoke-On-Trent during the Franco-Prussian war. Modelling maidens and cherubs on plaques and vases, Solon and his apprentices soon perfected the process and Minton became the unrivalled leader in the field.

The decorative scheme and overall design of the cabinets is similar to other known commissions from Holland and Sons for Marlborough House, such as a pair of tables made in the same 'Louis seize' style, which were placed in the Queen’s Spare Room. One of these tables bears a Queen Alexandra stamp to the drawer, indicating that they were made for Queen Alexandra’s private apartments at Marlborough House. These tables were sold, Property from the Collections of Lily and Edmond J. Safra, Sotheby's, New York, 19 October 2011, lot 752. A similar cabinet by Holland & Sons in the Victoria and Albert Museum (W.11-1972), illustrated in Simon Jervis, High Victorian Design, Ottawa, 1974, no. 76, p. 95, which was sold The Property of the late Col. H. C. l. Kingsford-Lethbridge, Christie's London, February 25, 1971, lot 172 and its companion writing table, lot 171, are similarly executed in the 'Louis seize' style combining gilt-bronze mounts with elaborate exotic wood and ivory marquetry as seen in the present cabinet.

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

Built in the early years of the eighteenth century, Marlborough House was designed by Sir Christopher Wren for the great Duke of Marlborough, whose descendants continued to occupy this palatial London mansion until the early 18th century, when it passed to the Crown. In 1863, the house was occupied by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, and his consort, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, following their marriage on March 10th of that year. The Royal couple continued to live and entertain at Marlborough House until the Prince's Ascension to the throne in 1901. In anticipation of the Prince and Princess's arrival, the interior of Marlborough House was extensively remodelled under the direction of the architect Sir James Pennethorne. A suite of fashionable new reception rooms were created, providing the setting for sumptuous entertainments attended by leading figures from British and foreign society. As part of these works, which continued for several years, quantities of furniture were ordered. It was at this point undoubtedly that the present cabinets were commissioned from Holland & Sons. Photographs of the interior of Marlborough House show a closely related cabinet, evidently part of the same commission, in the Large Drawing Room. (Arthur H Beavan, Marlborough House and its occupants Past and Present, London, 1896. pp. 25-5).

The commissioning of these pieces and indeed all the Holland and Sons furniture is consistent with the approach taken by the Prince and Princess of Wales to the decoration of their official London residence. They intended for Marlborough House to be a showcase of the highest quality of English craft and design, demonstrating to innumerable foreign dignitaries what England had to offer. As one contemporary commentator wrote of the house ‘in connection with furniture, it has been said that with truth, both the Prince and Princess have ever since their marriage done their utmost to encourage home manufacturers in every department and […] everything in Marlborough House may broadly speaking be said to be of British make.’ (Beavan, op. cit., p. 55)

HOLLAND & SONS

The firm of Holland & Sons first appeared in 1803 as Taprell, Stephen and Holland. The partnership then became Taprell, Holland and Son between 1835 and 1843 when it finally became Holland & Sons. William Holland, who took over as senior partner in 1843, was almost certainly related to the architect Henry Holland. The relationship between builder and cabinet maker is paralleled by another leading Victorian firm, Trollope and Sons. Their earliest known commission was to furnish the Athenaeum, 1824- 1838. They also worked alongside the firm of Thomas Dowbiggin at Osborne House, and eventually took over their premises and business at 23 Mount Street in 1851 and 1853 respectively. Holland & Sons were the quintessential firm of Victorian cabinet makers and their style developed over the period between 1851 and 1870, which saw many changes to furniture making in Britain. These changes were stimulated by the series of international exhibitions commencing here in London with the so-called Great Exhibition in the crystal palace and taking place in Paris in 1856, 1867, 1878 and 1889 and again in London in 1862.

Royal commissions included work at Buckingham Palace, Osborne House, Balmoral, Sandringham and Windsor Castle, and their records from 1864 to 1872 devote some eighty-eight double pages exclusively to Marlborough House. Lastly, it is interesting to note that Holland & Sons exhibited at the 1878 Paris International Exhibition for which The Prince of Wales Pavilion was constructed, him being devoted to British art manufacturers and designers.