A pair of William IV giltwood and gesso tables, circa 1830, attributed to the workshop of William Cribb

Formerly in the collection of William George Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (d. 1948) at 16 Mansfield Street;
By descent to his son Ferdinand Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of Portland (1889-1980);
By descent to his brother Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland (1897-1990);
thence by descent until sold Sotheby's, London, 26 October 2016, lot 1013 (£25,000 with premium).

These tables have all the hallmarks of a growing body of early Georgian revival furniture by or attributed to William Cribb (active 1812-40). More commonly known as a framer and gilder, one of Cribb's most notable commissions was the work he undertook for William Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (1719-1858) at Chatsworth, Derbyshire and at Devonshire House in London, William Kent's great commission. The present tables share constructional similarities to a labelled console table by Cribb sold Sotheby's London, Mark Birley: The Private Collection, 21 March 2013, lot 164, which employed a similar bold 'Kentian' freize and a similarly course grain pine for the legs were in themselves of comparable form to those of the table offered here.

Interestingly, the paper label to the reverse of these tables places them in the collection of Mr Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck of 16 Mansfield Street. A famous Adam project built under the aegis of his great-grandfather, William Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, Mansfield Street was built after their financially disastrous Adelphi enterprise. In 1773, the names of Lord Hinchingbrooke (No. 18), Lord Scarsdale (No. 5), the Earl of Sussex (No. 9) and the Countess of Powis (No. 11) all appear on the title deeds of adjacent properties. No. 16 was not let until 1775, when it subsequently became the town house of the Marquess of Sligo. Mr Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (d. 1948) was one of several inhabitants who sympathetically restored the Adam interiors to their former glory in the early 20th century, taking occupancy of the house in 1892. His wife, Ruth Mary, was renowned for her support of the Suffragette movement. Their youngest son, Victor Frederick William (‘Bill Bentinck’), a diplomat and later 9th and last Duke of Portland (d. 1990), was born at 16 Mansfield Street in June 1897.