Royal & Noble
Royal & Noble
Property from a Distinguished Private Collection
A late George II ebony inlaid mahogany serpentine commode, circa 1755-65
Lot Closed
January 18, 03:53 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from a Distinguished Private Collection
A late George II ebony inlaid mahogany serpentine commode, circa 1755-65
the moulded top above two panelled doors with blind fret and stylised flower heads in the Gothic manner centred by inlaid ebony roundels, the rounded corners similarly ornamented with blind fret, the panelled sides with brass carrying handles, the conforming stand centred by scrolls and a cabochon on cabriole legs with leaf carving and scrolled feet concealing brass and leather barrel castors, the interior with a drawer and three linen slides, the front edges still retaining the brass nail heads and remnants of the green baize covers
91.5cm. high, 118cm. wide, 60cm. deep; 3ft., 3ft. 10½in., 1ft. 11⅝in.
thence by descent and removed to Middleton Park, Oxfordshire;
thence by descent and removed to Radier Manor, Jersey.
This remarkable serpentine commode, with its distinctive axe-shaped top, blind fretwork and boldly carved apron and cabriole legs, relates to a small group of transitional ‘French’ commodes manufactured in the late 1750s/early 1760s. The form and decoration represent a confluence of influences and motifs which were prevalent in the pattern books of the day, the most famous being Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director (1754). Rococo c-scrolls and serpentine shapes are harmoniously blended with Chinese fretwork and neoclassical paneled doors and returns.
The commode has passed by descent in the collection of the Earls of Jersey and is possibly the ‘mahogany commode wardrobe’ listed in the Dressing Room in the 1782 inventory of Osterley Park, drawn up shortly after the death of Robert Child. The quality of the cabinet-work certainly stands up to the output of leading London furniture makers, such as Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779), William Ince (1737-1804) & John Mayhew (1736-1811) or John Linnell (1729-96), all of whom are known or thought to have supplied furniture to Osterley as part of Robert Adam’s radical redesign between 1763-1780.
For two closely related examples, possibly for the same workshop, see those sold Christie’s London, Important English Furniture, 7 July 1988, lot 144 and Christie’s New York, 17 April 2000, lot 20.