A George III satinwood, harewood and tulipwood breakfront bookcase, circa 1780, attributed to Mayhew and Ince

the cornice with inlaid pilasters and applied paterae, above tulipwood banded glazed doors with astragals enclosing four adjustable shelves, the lower section with oval medallion inlaid paneled doors enclosing adjustable shelves, all on a square plinth base, the reverse with paper label printed WHITE & Co., Ltd., / Furniture Depositories / Name / Mountbatten

Almost certainly Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston (1739–1802) for Broadlands House, Hampshire;
Thence by descent until acquired privately from Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900-1979) in the 1950s

Possibly one of the 'Two Comode Bookcases in Satton Wood' listed in the Book Room in the Inventory of furniture and household items at Broadlands, 1786.

A fine and elegant piece in good conserved condition. With some minor areas of minor restoration to the left return and to areas of the cross banding. The astragal glazed cupboard doors are in good condition. This piece is ready to place.
"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."

This elegant neoclassical bookcase, with its refined inlaid fluting and applied paterae friezes above oval medallion panelled doors, belongs to a group of satinwood case furniture at Broadlands, Hampshire attributed to the Golden Square firm of John Mayhew (d.1811) and William Ince (d.1804).

Mayhew and Ince's partnership is described in The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840 as 'one of the most significant, probably the longest lived but, as far as identified furniture is concerned, the least well documented of any of the major London cabinetmakers of the 18^th century' (Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert, The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, p. 589-590). Fortunately, the present bookcase can be firmly attributed to their prodigious workshop, as a paper label printed Mountbatten on the reverse confirms its association to the collection at Broadlands and therefore with Mayhew and Ince. Interestingly, an inventory of Broadlands drawn up by Anna Hold and Christopher Routledge in 1786 lists 60 rooms in the house and refers to ‘Two Comode Bookcases in Satton Wood’ located in the Book Room, now known as the Adam Room. It is quite possible that the present bookcase is one of the two mentioned, as the term ‘comode’ would have applied to case furniture with cupboard doors and drawers alike.

The major architectural changes which made Broadlands the fine Palladian mansion we see today began in 1767 under the egis of Henry Temple, 2^nd Viscount Palmerston. His father had acquired the estate from a destitute Humphrey Sydenham who was ruined by the South Sea Bubble. Having enlisted the help of William Kent, he began the process of ‘deformalizing’ the gardens. Between 1767 and 1780, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown transformed the Tudor and Jacobean manor of the St Barbes into a ‘model classical house, fastidiously decorated in the most-up-to-date taste’ (H. Roberts, ‘The Ince and Mayhew Connection, Furniture at Broadlands, Hampshire - I', Country Life, 29 January 1981, p. 288). It was during this phase of remodelling that Mayhew and Ince must have been commissioned. Beyond the stylistic affinities the present bookcase shares with a number of pieces associated to the firm’s output, there is documentary evidence to support the firm's association to Broadlands. Although no bills remain, Lady Palmerston’s account book reveals payments totalling £1,959, 9s 9d were made to the firm between 1785 and 1797. A considerable sum, and by far the largest recorded for the supply of furnishings to Broadlands, distantly followed by a Gillow’s bill of 1796 for £234 4s 4d. Indeed, Lady Palmerston’s inventory of 1797 unusually makes specific mention of a ‘Secretary made by Ince [17]82’ demonstrating the standing of the firm in Lady Palmerton’s mind. Besides the 'Secretary' mentioned above, several other pieces of satinwood case furniture at Broadlands have been attributed to Mayhew & Ince, the jewel in the crown being an exceptional pair of satinwood, harewood and marquetry commodes in the famous Wedgwood room.

A related satinwood and marquetry breakfront bookcase attributed to Mayhew and Ince, with a similarly fluted frieze and oval panels, and thought to have been supplied to Christopher Tower (d.1810) for Weald Hall, Brentwood, was sold Christie's, London, 19 November 2009, lot 80.