A pair of George III kingwood, brass inlaid and mounted concertina action card tables, circa 1775, attributed to John Cobb

attributed to John Cobb, with gilt-bronze mounts, the quarter-veneered tops with a mounted edge, the top enclosing a sliding tray with a container for cards, with a shaped frieze, on cabriole legs with gilt-metal sabots

Almost certainly supplied to George Grenville, Marquess of Buckingham (1755-1813) for Stowe House, Buckinghamshire;
Thence by descent.

Related Literature
Michael Bevington, Stowe House, London, 2002.

An elegant pair of card tables. The colour is uneven and has been affected by exposure to the sun throughout. This is most notable to the top of one table which also has a ring mark, the other with conforming scratches to the corners caused by the concertina action. The baize linings have been replaced to both at different times. The superb gilt bronze mounts to the knees could benefit from a clean according to taste. One sabot to the rear leg has been re-cast. With later hinges to the underside to both tables. With old marks and scratches throughout commensurate 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. 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."

Described as the largest and most completely realized private Neo-classical building in the world. Stowe House in Buckinghamshire has its origins in a mansion first built in 1677 by Sir Richard Temple. However, it was his son who succeeded in 1718, John Temple, later Viscount Cobham, that turned the house into what we see today. Cobham was responsible for the re-building of the house – commissioning the great architect Sir John Vanbrugh to create the two fronts, the galleries and the end pavilions which are now integral to the building. The house and collection continued to grow under the stewardship of subsequent generations of Grenvilles – eventually rising to the Dukedom of Buckingham. The present tables were almost certainly commissioned by Viscount Cobham’s grandson, George Grenville, Marquess of Buckingham, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1755-1813), during his expansion of the collection.

Although a fiscally careful man, the Marquess of Buckingham did not shun expense in what he considered good, or useful, causes. He was generous to family and friends, and, in common with his contemporaries, he believed that a great family demanded a great house. He commissioned John Soane to rebuild two houses in Pall Mall as one, Buckingham House, and he largely completed the magnificent renovation of Stowe begun by his uncle. The renovations at Stowe included numerous additions of fine furniture and paintings to suit the grandeur of Soane’s interiors and Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s landscape. Stowe remained in the Grenville family until 1921, however, the debts accrued by the 2^nd Duke of Buckingham led to the monumental Stowe House sale in 1848. Fortunately, the catalogue remains intact and accessible and through research it is clear that the present lot were not part of the sale but were kept by the family and have since been passed down to the present owner.

Conceived in the French taste, with their richly figured quarter-veneered tops and friezes, inlaid with brass, ormolu mounts and boldly drawn cabriole form, these important tables can be attributed to the workshop of John Cobb (c.1770-1780). The long period of peace between England and France at the beginning of the 18^th century facilitated England's initial acceptance of French, and specifically Rococo, designs. Despite the political and cultural obstacles between England and France of the mid-18th Century, notably the Seven Years War of 1756-1763, the enthusiasm for French fashions in England continued unabated. Most craftsmen seem to have been oblivious to the contradiction between patriotism and their work, despite the efforts of Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694 - 1753) and William Kent (1685 - 1748) to introduce an 'English' style, based on a robust interpretation of Palladio's designs. The Rococo, on the other hand, besides its fashionable 'French-ness', held a more practical attraction for designers and craftsmen in that by its very nature, it was more labour-intensive than the sober English 'Kentian' style: designers were often able to charge more for their work.

The present tables are related both in their profile and construction to a further pair of card tables with the same Stowe provenance, offered for sale by Sotheby's New York, Tom Devenish: The Collection, Highly Important Furniture, New York, 24^th April 2008, lot 115, which share the same form of frieze and concertina action and which are shown illustrated in situ in Stowe, circa 1920 in the Green Drawing Room. They also share affinities with a significant group of commodes, side tables, and card tables either documented or firmly attributed to his workshop. Of this group another pair of card tables is discussed by Colin Streeter in an article included in the Journal of the Furniture History Society, 1974, "Marquetry Tables from Cobbs' Workshop", together with various tables related in style and form.