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MAI I.E]TT Established 1865

Front cover An important Adam giltwood armchair (see pp 8-9)

Frontispiece One of a pair of 17th century Itahan watercolours of flowers painted on vellum, circa 1670 Framed: 24'A X 20'':in (62 x 52cm)

Back cover A 19th century Japanese porcelain hare, circa 1860 Length: 10'/:in (27cm)

MALLETT English and Continental Antique Furniture,

Objets d'Art, Paintings and Watercolours

141 New Bond Street London W1 and at Bourdon House 2 Davies Street London W1

1996

F Tine English furniture is becoming more and more prized throughout the world but increasingly difficult to find. Malletts, however, are proud to have a remarkable stock.

much of which we acquire from private sources. We can therefore offer exceptional opportunities to acquire very special items. Beautiful things will always be a joy to live with but equally the market for these, especially English furniture, has proved consistently strong and is undoubtedly representative of the best value in every sense.

In Bond Street and at Bourdon House, we continue to concentrate on a wide variety of both English and Continental pieces, every item being distinguished by outstanding quality and many with exceptional charm. This is the hallmark of Malletts.

The range of pictures in the Mallett Gallery (the Christopher Wood Gallery now being fully integrated) will be extended to cover a broader area of paintings, drawings and watercolours of different schools and periods.

Amongst several special exhibitions planned for the near future, we shall be welcoming you to an aspect which we are now developing seriously - a nineteenth century department offering a range of decorative arts in many fields, from furniture to paintings and textiles to glass. A special catalogue will be available.

Please come and see us; we promise you a memorable visit. In the meantime, I hope you will find this selection interesting.

D L A N T O S Y N G E Managing Director

MALLETT in Bond Street

Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd 141 New Bond Street London WIY OBS Tel 0171-499 7411 Fax 0171-495 3179

pp 6 - 5 1

ANTIQUE GLASS at Mallett

MALLETT Gallery

MALLETT at Bourdon House

Mallett at Bourdon House Ltd 2 Da vies Street London WIY ILJ Tel 0171-629 2444 Fax 0171-499 2670

pp 52-59

pp 60-67

pp 68-95

A pair of 18th ccntury Cliinex cloisoime enamel birds, circa 1780 Height: 4'/: in (U.5cm)

M A L L E T T in Bond Street

CHIPPENDALE, ADAM AND THE NEO-CLASSICAL

A . MAGNIFICENT GEORGE III GILTWOOD PIER GLASS, THE RECTANGULAR central plate with mirrored surrounds, overlaid on the inside in the neo-classical taste with a border of carved anthemia, surrounded by leaves and scrolls in the contrasting rococo manner, with entwined swags of husks and surmounted by a cresting of further scrolls and leaves with large central anthemion. English, circa 1765

111 xSOViin (282 X 128cm)

This grand pier glass marks the transition from the fanciful rococo taste to the stricter forms of the neo-classical style. It shows striking similarities to others designed by Thomas Chippendale, notably for Nostell Priory and Harewood House in Yorkshire. At Nostell there is a pair of mirrors which Chippendale supplied 'For my Lady's dressing Room and bed Chamber', using similar elements, including a classical vase above, supporting pendant husks attached to the wall. Furthermore, there is a drawing for a picture frame, also at Nostell, which is of a corresponding design to the central cresting of this mirror. At Harewood and at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, many of the carvings of the mirror frames are used in the same way as in this example, with chains of husks hanging from foliate scrolls and alternating anthemia enriching the lower frame rail. The outsize anthemion motif is a strong, recurring feature.

The Dictionary of Engish Furniture illustrates a mirror in this style but of overmantel form from Ramsbury, a Carolean manor house near Marlborough in Wiltshire and one of England's most beautiful country houses. It is believed that this pier mirror also hung at one time at Ramsbury, together with wall swags of complementary design. Between 1765 and 1775, Sir Robert Burdett, an important client of Thomas Chippendale, undertook the re-decorating and re-furnishing of his house in Derbyshire, Foremark Hall, and although the records are not complete, his accounts show a number of payments to Chippendale between 1766 and 1774. The contents of Foremark were sold in 1939, at which time there was little evidence left of the Chippendale commission, and it is possible that certain pieces had already been removed either to Bramcote, the Burdett's Warwickshire home, or to Ramsbury, which came into the family through the marriage of Sir Robert's son.

Whilst Chippendale had already begun to espouse the neo-classical style, imaginatively and brilliantly combining the exhuberent rococo manner with the more formal classical elements, it was Robert Adam who was to spearhead the great classical revival.

Chippendale came to make many pieces to Adam's designs. They collaborated in the interiors of some of the finest houses of their time, notably Kenwood and Harewood, and shared patrons at Nostell Priory, Newby Hall, Saltram Castle and Lansdowne House. Possibly their first joint venture was a suite of four sofas and eight armchairs, designed by Adam and executed by Chippendale, for 19 Arlington Street

in London, the design for which is now in the Soane Museum and dated 1764. 19 Arlington Street belonged to Sir Abraham Hume, who, no doubt well pleased with Adam's style, commissioned during the following decade more furniture designs from him for his town house in Hill Street and country house at Wormlebury.

This single oval back armchair derives from Adam's drawing inscribed 'Design of a chair for Sir A. Hume Bart, Adelphi 1779'. This chair is a modified version of the drawing, lacking the elaborate sphinxes lying at the back of the seat, but incorporates features from other drawings by Adam for Sir Abraham of a confidante and a sofa, dated 1780, particularly the garlands of harebells entwining the frame. The anthemion motifs are, again, ever present.

Of all the pieces designed for Sir Abraham Hume, it appears that there are no known documented examples in existence, which makes this chair especially rare and interesting. Adam conceived his furniture as part of the overall plan of his interiors and this chair displays many of the motifs of the neo-classical style of which he was the master and which was dominant in his architecture.

Thanks to the architect. Sir John Soane, who acquired the collection of Adam's drawings after his death, this great archive is now preserved in his Museum.

Overmantel mirror from Ramshury Manor. Repiroiluceci by kind perniissiion of Reeil Books.

A VERY RARE ADAM PERIOD OVAL BACK GILTWOOD ARMCHAIR

carved with fan cresting on tiie top rail, the back, arms and front legs all of reeded form and carved with garlands of harebells, the back hung with ribbon tied swags, the seat rails carved with anthemion motifs; the chair upholstered in pale blue and ivory silk damask of the period. English, circa 1779

Height: 39in (99cm) Width: 24in (61cm) Depth: lO'/iin (52cm)

Designs for seat furniture by Robert Aiimn reproduced by courtesy of the Trustees of Sir John Sonne's Museum, Loudon.

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QUEEN ANNE THE AGE OF WALNUT

A, . QUEEN ANNE WALNUT CHEST OF EXCEPTIONAL quality having veneers of the richest figuring and colour throughout the exterior and interior; the upper section with cavetto cornice above double mirrored doors with Vauxhall bevelled plates, the doors enclosing an arrangement of fifteen small drawers surrounding a small cupboard enclosing five further graduated drawers; the lower section with four long graduated drawers and raised on bracket feet. English, circa 1710

Height: 81 in (206cm) Width: 44in (112cm) Depth: 23'74 in (59cm)

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A RARE EARLY 1 8 T H CENTURY WALNUT SETTEE WITH

padded seat and back upholstered in period needlework in exceptionally good condition, worked with large scale spring and summer flowers on a brown ground; the settee with scrolling arms and raised on six legs, the front legs carved with shell motifs at the knees and ending in hairy paw feet. English, circa 1720

Height: 42in (107cm) Length: 56in (142cm) Depth: 28in (71cm)

Provemncc: Formerly in the collection of Benjamin Ginsburg, New York.

Literature: Hope Hanley, Needlework Sti/les for Period Furniture, New York 1978, see cover illustration and pi 2.

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A PAIR OF QUEEN A N N E WALNUT STOOLS ON cabriole legs joined by turned stretchers and ending in pad feet, the seats covered in period blue ground floral needlework. English, circa 1710

Height: 18in (46cm) Width: 19in (48cm) Depth: 16in (41cm)

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. T X N IMPORTANT AND very large carved giltwood pier glass dating from the very beginning of the 18th century, with arched top and pierced foliate and strapwork cresting, the divided and bevelled mirror plates within a frame of egg and dart and petal carved mouldings with borders of bevelled mirror plates. English, circa 1700

102 X 47in (259 x 119cm)

Prmemnce: Formerly in the collection of the Duke of Leeds at Hornby Castle. Later in the collection of Mr Gerald Hochschild.

A, . QUEEN ANNE JAPANNED LOWBOY DECORATED THROUGHOUT with gold chinoiseries on a red ground, the top depicting a seated mandarin with his attendants near a pavilion in a terraced garden, within a border of gilt hatchwork, with one long drawer and three short drawers in the frieze, retaining their original brass handles, with carrying handles at the sides and shaped apron, raised on cabriole legs ending in pad feet. English, circa 1710

Height: 29in (74cm) Width: 30'/2in (77cm) Depth: 19'/4in (49cm)

This is a very rare example of an early 18th century dressing table, or lowboy, commonly m a d e in walnut but in this instance lavishly decorated in red and gold in imitation of oriental lacquer.

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GEORGE II AND EARLY GEORGE III FURNITURE

A. L.\ I M P O R T A N T G E O R G E II A R M C H A I R IN C U B A N mahogany, with escutcheon shaped back splat having the very rare, richly patinated feature of a central shell and acanthus leaves carved at the base, or 'shoe-piece'; with dished and scrolled armrests, moulded seat rail and cabriole front legs, carved at the knees with deep gadroon mouldings and bellflowers and ending in hairy paw feet. English, circa 1740

Height: 37in (94cm) Width: 28in (71cm) Depth: 24'/2in (62cm)

Literature: R. W. Symonds, English Furniture from Charles II to George II, London 1929, figs 163 and 167.

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A, l N I M P O R T A N T IRISH G E O R G I A N C A R V E D M A H O G A N Y side table with grey veined white marble top, the frieze with large egg and dart moulding above a central lion's mask with bold foliate scrolls on either side, raised on cabriole legs carved at the front and back with acanthus leaves and standing on large shaggy paw feet. Irish, circa 1750

Height: ST/zin (83cm) Length: 60in (152cm) Depth: 30in (76cm)

A FINE EARLY 1 8 T H C E N T U R Y CHINESE BLUE A N D

white porcelain circular bowl of deep proportions, decorated also on the inside. Kangxi, circa 1720

Height: 6̂ 4 in (17cm) Diameter: 13in (33cm)

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A. LN IMPORTANT PAIR O F C H I P P E N D A L E C A R V E D

giltwood torcheres of magnificent quality and proportions, the uppermost part of the stem foliate carved and of flared shape to support the circular gadrooned top, the main stem of triangular, deeply fluted form, carved with acanthus and with pendant bellflowers, raised on triangular, moulded platform with small carved cartouches and standing on curving, moulded tripod feet ending in scroll toes. English, circa 1760

Height: 56in (142cm) Diameter of top: 14in (36cm) Maximum width of base: 25in (64cm)

The original drawing, circa 1760, for these torcheres is in the George Lock Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum (Ref 2603). See English Furniture Designs of the 18th Century, Peter Ward-Jackson, 1958, p 46 and pi 119.

Design for a candlestand reproduced by courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

21

A . GEORGE in MAHOGANY CLOTHES PRESS, THE DOORS with oval panels of flame figured veneers surrounded by a border of carved bellflowers and with foliate scrolls at each corner, below an arched pediment carved with a central patera hung with ribbon tied swags of bellflowers above a frieze carved with scrolling foliage around a small central urn; the interior of the upper part containing five sliding shelves, the base with two short and two long panelled drawers retaining their original cast brass swag handles, their design reflecting the carving of the pediment. English, circa 1765 Height: 81 in (206cm) Width: 50in (127cm) Depth: 23in (58cm)

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of the 4th Baron hiverclyde at Castle Wemyss, Refrewshire, Scotland, then by descent to the last owner. The form of the 18th century clothes press evolved from the change in ladies' and gentlemen's costume. Whereas in the 16th and 17th centuries the fashionable padded doublets and hose had to be suspended in large cupboards made of oak, later garments were made in finer materials which could be folded and laid in drawers and new furniture was designed to accommodate this purpose. The upper sections of these new presses may now have been converted back to hanging cupboards for suits and jackets but they were originally fitted with sliding shelves. In some cases, such as this one, these shelves and the lower drawers were lined with cedar as a deterrent against moths.

Though a few early 18th century examples are known to have been made in walnut, from the middle part of the century they were predominantly of mahogany. Records show that Chippendale made many 'cloths presses', such as those for the actor David Garrick for his Adelphi apartments, for Mersham Le Hatch in Kent and for Nostell Priory in Yorkshire. The draped garlands of bellflowers or husks were devices much favoured by Chippendale in his post-Director period. They are seen widely on his mirrors, sometimes with accompanying wall swags, such as those supplied to Nostell, to Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire and to Paxton House in Berwickshire. The design also features on a sideboard suite at Harewood House, and, incorporating the patera motif, on chairs for Brocket Hall and others probably made either for Garrick at the Adelphi or for Lansdowne House.

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A GREAT ENGLISH FIREPLACE

.A VI J ^ VERY IMPORTANT MID 1 8 T H CENTURY white statuary marble chimney-piece designed by Isaac Ware; the gadrooned shelf surmounting a shaped frieze carved with scrolling foliage and a central floral bouquet above a scrolled acanthus leaf, the moulded jambs flanked by female caryatids at the corners, with scrolls at the shoulders and feet and hung with garlands of flowers. English, circa 1756

Overall height: 50'/: in (128cm) Overall width: 64in (163cm) Height of aperture: SS'/jin (97cm) Width of aperture: 42'A in (107cm)

Provemtice: Made for John Depesters Esq for No 3 Tenterden Street, Hanover Square, London. Later at No 2 Royston Road, Richmond, Surrey

The fireplace hi situ at Tenterden Street, 1912

Isaac Ware's design for the fireplace at Tenterden Street

i. In 1756, the architect Isaac Ware published A Complete Body of Architecture in which plate 91 illustrates the design for this very fireplace, combining the earlier influence of William Kent with the lighter, decorative features of the emerging rococo style. It is listed in the book as 'Chimney piece at John de Pejter's, Esq, Hanover Square'.

The rate books for 1753-1755, preserved in the Westminster City Archives, record a 'John Depesters Esq' resident of 'Tanterdine Street'. Tenterden (or Tanterdine) Street is immediately adjacent to Hanover Square and at that time the more important location was often referred to in preference to the actual address - possibly to give the owner, or indeed his architect, a sense of even greater prestige.

In 1912 in The English Fireplace by L. A. Shuffrey, the fireplace was illustrated as pi CVI, captioned '3 Tenterden Street, Hanover Square, London'. The later owner of the fireplace at 2 Royston Road, where it remained until the 1980s, confirms that it had been removed from 3 Tenterden Street.

Ware's drawing of 1756 is inscribed 'Boyce Sculpt'. Whilst such an inscription would normally indicate the engraver of the illustration, it is just possible that this Boyce was actually the sculptor of the fireplace itself; in Ware's publication, a chimney-piece made for Chesterfield House, known to have been carved by the French sculptor Grignion, is illustrated (pi 88) and, interestingly, this is inscribed 'Grignion Sculpt'.

Here follow some short extracts from Isaac Ware, which give us an insight into the conception and execution of this important and, today, extremely rare 18th century English chimney-piece:

CHAP XXII Of a chimney with termini

We have given the use of the columns in plain chimney-pieces ... and the appropriation of scrolls to supply their place, where any particular fancy in the proprietor declares against their use. It remains that we treat of a kind between the fanciful or Caryatic orders and these scrolls; and these are the nature of termini. They consist of the head and breast of a human form, and a scabbard receiving the limbs ...

... as in such a chimney there must naturally be a great deal of sculpture, the continuing that in the same taste, if a proper form could be devised, would be of enormous expense and would distract the eye. 'Tis fit the attention should be fixed where there has been so large an expense and so much labour and genius to demand it; and for this reason as well as the other, the work should be confined to one place, bestowed about the lower part of the chimney-piece, and full in the eye on every occasion.

CHAP XXIII Of the construction of this chimney-piece

The first consideration of the architect in a design of this nature, must be giving it a freedom in all its parts. These will be somewhat massy in the figures themselves, for it is the nature of these kind of designs to swell out at the breast; but he is to contrast this with lightness, and an airy look in all other parts, and to give free scope to his imagination ...

The face, the neck, and a part of the breast, is all that must appear human; and as this part of the body is much more graceful in the female form, let them represent women.

Let the head be decorated with flowers among the hair; the neck be naked to show its true proportion; and let a festoon of flowers fall carelessly over the breast, to hide the separation in the midst, and represent the fullness, and beautiful round, without coarseness or indecency.

The human part of the figure thus finished, the scabbard comes into consideration. This receives the breast, and has a spiral line on each side and its top, where the arms seem to have been taken off ...

The inner line of the chimney-piece may be a rounded and handsome moulding, which at the top may be carried, according to the French manner, into an irregular arch. In the centre of this a scroll may supply the place of a key stone; and this spreading each way from that central part, may leave room for a basket of fruit, and terminate each way in a festoon ...

CHAP XXIV Of the materials for this chimney-piece

The rule we have laid down of allowing coloured marbles where there is little sculpture, and plain ones where there is more, holds very strong here. We recommend this chimney-piece to be constructed entirely of pure statuary marble, as that will most distinctly show the work; and the eye, having no glare of colours to take it off, will be wholly kept upon that.

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A RARE MID 1 8 T H C E N T U R Y CHINESE EXPORT C A R D table in Hitanghuali wood having a concertina action, the interior with carved border of leaf and flower pattern and with guinea wells and candle stands, all four cabriole legs carved with lion's masks at the top and with paw feet. Chinese, circa 1760

Height closed: 28'/2in (72cm) Width: 32'/:in (83cm) Depth closed: 16in (41cm)

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THE CHINA TRADE

The business of the Enghsh East India Company (chartered by EHzabeth 1 in 1600), as its name would imply, derived originally from its activities in the Indian sub-continent but by the early 18th century it had progressed farther east. In the 18th

and early 19th centuries it was pre-eminent in the trade between east and west. Indeed, it was considered to be 'the most important of this country's overseas enterprises'.

In 1715, the Company opened a 'factory' in Canton, which was to become the principal port for trade from China to the West. Already the fascination and hunger for goods from the far east had grown but with the discovery of the skills of the Chinese craftsmen it became apparent that not only could works of their own culture be acquired and shipped back by the merchantmen but also that many items of English and European origin could be copied in China to satisfy western tastes and requirements. Many workshops became established, full of eager local craftsmen, carpenters, carvers, artists in lacquer, to fulfil the demand. Factories were rented by Chinese merchants , the Hong, to the foreign traders and this increase in commerce attracted the skilled Chinese workers.

The English East India Company capitalised on this market more than any of the other European countries and became the most successful and powerful force in the

A, . N EARLY 1 9 T H CENTURY Chinese export Davenport in amboyna wood and rosewood, the sliding top with leather surface and brass candleholders, opening to reveal a well with drawers, the sides with leather lined slides and horn handles, the three drawers inlaid with ivory stringing and with recessed brass handles. Chinese, circa 1830

Height: 34in (86cm) Width: 24in (61cm) Depth: 22in (56cm)

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China trade. Goods of an enormous diversity and of wonderful quality were brought to these shores. Quantities of bamboo furniture, made popular by the Prince Regent's scheme for the Brighton Pavilion, campaign chests, travelling trunks and desks were made for export and also for the increasing numbers of ex-patriots who were by then established or serving a term of office in China. Chairs, settees and chaise longues in the prevalent styles of the time, Sheraton and Regency variations, were made in abundance in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The labour was inexpensive but the workmanship was, nonetheless, of the highest order, the Chinese being noted for their quick understanding of what was required and for the delicacy and artistry in the execution of their products. Many of the goods produced in large amounts brought back to England by the East India Company were

A RARE A N D VERY LARGE PAIR OF LATE 1 8 T H C E N T U R Y Chinese export porcelain pistol handled urns and covers, the bodies with small turquoise bordered oval panels of flower sprays and with raised garlands of husks, on square rust red bases. Qianlong, circa 1790

Height: 16'/: in (42cm) Width: 9in (23cm)

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A PAIR OF 1 9 T H CENTURY PORCELAIN BARREL SHAPED g a r d e n seats d e c o r a t e d in fami l le rose c o l o u r s w i t h p a n e l s of exot ic b i rds , p e o n i e s a n d b r a n c h e s of b l o s s o m w i t h i n a g r e e n fo l ia te g r o u n d w i t h f l o w e r h e a d s a n d p i e r c e d r o u n d e l s . C h i n e s e , c irca 1860

Height : 18V2in ( 4 7 c m ) D i a m e t e r o f top: IV/iin ( 2 9 c m )

sold through merchants in London or at auction. However, some pieces are sure to have been made as private commissions and illustrated here are two examples of pieces made to the highest order and which must certainly fall into this category.

The first is a Chinese interpretation of a George I folding card table, made in an indigenous timber, which opens with a 'concertina' action in the English way but reveals on the interior surface, in low relief carving, a little oriental artistic licence with a design of scrolling leaves reflecting the carving on original Chinese furniture of earlier periods. With each leg equally formed and all four carved with identical lion's heads, the table stands 'full square' when opened (unlike many English originals which were surprisingly one-sided). Even the hidden hinges of the folding mechanism are of brass and as neatly recessed as if they had been made for exposed areas.

The 'Davenport' bureau is a copy of an early 19th century form, again made in exotic eastern woods. The recessed brass handles are characteristic of the campaign furniture made for the military but in this case both these and the pattern of the ivory

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A^ LN EIGHT-FOLD SCREEN DECORATED THROUGHOUT

with black and gold lacquer of outstanding quality and richness of detail. One side depicts a continuous scene of court life with courtiers and attendants amidst pavilions and pagodas in a landscape of rocks, trees and waterways with sampans and pleasure boats, within a border of fierce, entwined dragons and cloud formations. The reverse side is also richly decorated with a continuous lake landscape with figures following rural and domestic pursuits, also in very fine detail and within a border of strapwork, flowers and leaves. Chinese, circa 1820

Height: 83in (211 cm) Width of each panel: 2r/2in (55cm) Maximum overall width: 174in (442cm)

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A, LN 1 8 T H CENTURY MIRROR PICTURE OF LARGE SIZE A N D

extremely fine quality, depict ing a Chinese lady seated on a grassy terrace, wear ing an exquisi te g o w n and with her at tendant , being gazed on b y a Chinese gent leman from behind a b lossoming tree, in a lake setting with two small deer and a thoroughbred horse in the foreground. Chinese , circa 1780

Framed: 36V2 x 56in (93 x 142cm)

inlaid stringing disclose a discreet influence of oriental design. The secret spring release mechanism which reveals the inkwell compartment is an example of the ingenuity of the maker. It is a piece made to fit a small space, perhaps on board an important ship, but designed to give as much practical working space as possible. It is made with such precision that its present condition remains as good, and its sliding mechanism works as smoothly , as the day it was made.

Among other representations of the China trade, this mirror picture is a large and superb example of the art of the Chinese 'painters on glass'. Details of the figures and their exquisite garments are executed with the skill of a miniaturist and they are placed within a romantic oriental lakeside setting, below a 'sky' of faded antique mirror plate, creating an atmosphere which is unique in painting media.

The coquettish pose of the cloisonne enamel birds (see p 5) could hardly have failed to appeal to collectors of the oriental arts of the time and the highly decorative porcelain garden seats were also very popular. The 'pistol handled' urns represent the fashion for porcelain wares commissioned to accord with the neo-classical taste of the late 18th century.

Finally the eight-fold screen, in remarkable, original condition, is a wonderful rendition of Chinese lacquerwork. With a glorious disregard for perspective, it displays an idealised view of Chinese life with a combination of acute detail and enormous charm. Such pieces brought an exciting and exotic element to the fashionable English interior.

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.N EIGHT-FOLD SCREEN DECORATED THROUGHOUT id gold lacquer of outstanding quality and richness side depicts a continuous scene of court life with attendants amidst pavilions and pagodas in a

rocks, trees and waterways with sampans and s, within a border of fierce, entwined dragons and ons. The reverse side is also richly decorated with lake landscape with figures following rural and ;uits, also in very fine detail and within a border of iwers and leaves. 1820

Zllcm) panel: 21'/; in (55cm) rail width: 174in (442cm)

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SHERATON AND REGENCY FURNITURE

On the sideboard are two from a garniture of three mid 18th century Chinese export porcelain vases. Qianlong, circa 1780 Height: 13in (33cm) For details of the glass bowl, see p 53

A: . SHERATON PERIOD MAHOGANY SERPENTINE SIDEBOARD, THE deeply curved front with central drawer in the frieze flanked by two smaller drawers on one side and a deep cellarefte drawer on the other, the drawer fronts with flame figured veneers of superb, faded colour; with fan motif brackets and square, tapering legs ending in spade feet. English, circa 1790

Height: 35'/: in (90cm) Length: 61 in (155cm) Depth: 27'/2in (70cm)

34

A PAIR OF VERY FINE QUALITY LATE 1 8 T H C E N T U R Y S A T I N W O O D

dwarf bookcases with two shelves above a single drawer in the base, with arched tops, panelled backs and brass lattice galleries, with columns and brass 'X' supports at the sides, the drawers inlaid with Greek key pattern in ebony, raised on turned legs with brass paw feet. English, circa 1800

Height: 44in (112cm) Width: 27in (69cm) Depth: 12%in (31cm)

35

A ' W E E K S ' CABINET IN SATINWOOD A N D

faded m a h o g a n y , of the fmest quahty and superb, small proport ions, the upper section with three glazed doors , the centre door of arched form surmounted by a circular convex mirror and brass urn finials, the lower part with a fitted secretaire drawer above cupboard doors panelled with stringing and crossbanding, the corners with reeded c o l u m n s headed by acanthus leaf capitals and raised on turned and tapered feet. English, circa 1795

Height: 85in (216cm) Width: 38'/2in (98cm) Depth closed: 21'/ : in (55cm)

This secretaire cabinet takes its name from Thomas Weeks, of whom little is known on a personal basis but whose 'Museum' became a famous venue in Georgian London. Its premises at 3 - 4 Tichborne Street, were leased in 1797 to Thomas Weeks by Sir Henry Tichborne and the Weeks Museum became renowned for its wide variety of exhibits, from 'mechanical contrivances' to stuffed birds.

A small group of cabinets, of which this is one, were made during the Sheraton period to a design which was clearly drawn from the architecture of the building itself, as can be seen from Pugin's engraving viewed from the Haymarket. The pediment of each cabinet was fitted either with a clock, like the building, or, as in this case, a circular convex mirror. Some were fitted with musical organ mechanisms, signed by Weeks. On his death in 1834, 'after an unusually long and laborious life', the contents of the Museum were auctioned and included many musical instruments and elaborate clocks with complicated movements, as well as furniture, china and statues.

The 'Weeks Cabinets' were made to the highest standards of cabinet-making of the period, using a great variety of fine and exotic timbers to great effect. Of known examples, one, formerly the property of Lord Barnard, is now in the collection of Temple Newsam House, Leeds, and another is in the Birmingham City Museum of Aston Hall. These both have not only a secretaire drawer but also a fitted dressing drawer, giving them a taller, high-waisted proportion. All known versions have variations of detail, for instance the design of the glazing bars or pattern of the veneers. This particular cabinet is slightly smaller in scale than the others, having just the secretaire drawer, and is of particularly elegant form.

The Weeks Museinii in Tichborne Street, Loudon, in the early 19th century.

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38

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A VERY FINE REGENCY PERIOD ROSEWOOD AND BRASS mounted writing table, the top of faded colour and with Vitruvian scroll gallery, the frieze with two drawers with lion's head handles and dummy drawers on the reverse and with brass mouldings and anthemia, on end supports with scroll brackets, rosettes and large anthemia, with platform bases on massive brass paw feet. English, circa 1820

Height: 30in (76cm) Length: 43'/2in (110cm) Depth: 26'/2in (67cm)

A MAGNIFICENT SHIBAYAMA CARVED IVORY ELEPHANT

richly encrusted with mother-of-pearl, coral and semi-precious stones, with lotus flower howdah. Japanese, circa 1870

Height: 10% in (26cm) Length: 12V2in (32cm) Width: 6'/2in (16.5cm)

39

- A LARGE REGENCY CIRCULAR WINE COOLER IN mahogany, the lid with boldly gadrooned border, with large round moulded carrying handles at either side, raised on stepped plinth, retaining its original lead lining and bottle holder. English, circa 1820

Height: 23'/4in (60cm) Diameter: 31 in (79cm)

40

A PAIR OF EARLY 1 9 T H CENTURY BED STEPS IN

mahogany with leather Uned treads, the top section of each with a gallery and witli a cupboard inside, the central section of one containing its porcelain pot and turned wood cover, the other its porcelain bidet, raised on turned feet. English, circa 1810

Overall height: 32in (81cm) Width: 15'/2in (39cm) Depth: 29'/An (74cm)

47

42

/

[ S i

f-r. no-< V

A HIGHLY IMPORTANT FRENCH ORMOLU CLOCK

A, . N IMPORTANT LOUIS XV ORMOLU TABLE CLOCK BY ROBERT OSMOND, the m o v e m e n t by Le Roy of Paris, s igned on the dial and on the backplate , the magnif icent vase shaped case with pineapple finial and l ion's mask ring handles at the sides, the spiral s tem raised on a wreath of laurel , on stepped plinth with swags of oak leaves and acorns and s tamped on the reverse O S M O N D . French, circa 1760

Height : 24'/; in (62cm) Width: 13in (33cm) Depth: 10'/4in (26cm)

Provenance: Reputedly supplied to Ange-Laurent Lalive de Jully and sold with his collection in 1770.

This magnificent clock is identical to the clock designed to stand on the cartonnier made for Ange-Laurent Lalive de Jully, which formed part of an extremely influential suite of early neo-classical furniture. This model of clock is recorded three times in the 18th century. However, although three are mentioned, probably only two exist, as it is likely one was recorded twice. Lalive de Jully's clock was sold with the rest of his celebrated collection in 1770; the two other recordings of such clocks occur in 1777 and 1787, in the collections of the due de Vrillieres and Nicolas Beaujon, banquier de la Cour, respectively, both important figures of the time. Today there is only this clock and one other which is in the Musee Conde, Chantilly. A third similar example is known but it has a different movement and other minor differences.

The actual genesis of this clock is in some doubt. Lalive bought it some nine years after the original furniture commission. It seems probable that the clock was ordered by Lalive and that there was an input from both Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain and Philippe Caffieri, Le Lorrain designing the suite and the bronze work being overseen by Caffieri. The clock is signed OSMOND, which refers to Robert Osmond who was a bronze founder of considerable standing in his day. Osmond was a friend of Caffieri and both were among the founders who signed the articles governing the copying of designs on 21st April 1766. Caffieri chose Osmond to make the valuation of his wife's effects after her death, obviously not a task for someone in whom he did not have absolute trust.

43

The significance of the Osmond stamp is intriguing. In some cases it may mean that the founder also made the original model. In others, as in the Osmond case where the founder was not a trained sculptor, it may mean that the signatory had bought the right to reproduce it. This is probably the case in this instance, and equally probably it can be suggested that Caffieri could have supplied the original. Robert Osmond was a specialist in clock cases, indeed his stamp is only found on clock cases. In 1746, he had become a 'maitre fondeur en terre et sable'. In 1756 he was elected 'Jure des Fondeurs' for two years and, as mentioned above, he signed the vitally important founders copyright resolution. The fact that he was involved in this famous suite of furniture is testament to his standing. The fame of Osmond and this clock spread and by the end of the 19th century the Parisian bronze founder, Alfred Beurdeley, offered for sale copies described as 'modele d'Osmont'.

The significance of this suite in the rebirth of classicism cannot be exaggerateci. Ange-Laurent Lalive de Jully (1725-1779), who commissioned the suite, was chief of protocol at the French court. His great contribution to the latter part of Louis XV's reign was his public advocacy of neo-classicism. His influence was founded in part on his close friendship with Madame de Pompadour, which began when they were neighbours in the rue St Honore.

He inherited a large fortune from his father in 1751 which allowed him to indulge his taste for classicism. There were two sides to his taste. In 1756 he bought, for what was then a fortune (12,000 livres), a bookcase attributed to BouIIe. Two years earlier he had indulged his limited abilities with the burin by engraving a collection of drawings of vases by the fashionable Saly. Thus the taste that led to the commissioning of Le Lorrain to make him a suite of furniture is neatly encapsulated; on the one hand there is the nostalgia for the classicism of Louis XIV and on the other a desire to incorporate the new 'gout grec'.

Lalive kept open house and for the benefit of visitors he even compiled a guide, written in 1764. In it he described the furnishings as 'designed in the Antique style, or to use a term

that is currently greatly abused, in the gout grec'. By 1771 Lalive was insane and to support his two children his entire collection was sold at auction. Once again the suite was widely trumpeted as a masterpiece and the clock sold for 830 livres. Lalive de Jully is important not only because of his commissions in the new taste but also because he did so publicly. Thereby he made current that which had been hitherto an obscure taste.

The clock movement is signed Julien le Roy, though it is probably by his son Pierre. Pierre spent all his life in the Le Roy workshops and although he took them over on his father's death in 1759, he continued to use the name Julien Le Roy on his clocks. Movements signed Julien Le Roy are often found in clock cases by Osmond. The firm received royal patronage and was 'horloger du Roi'. The fame of the Le Roy workshops rested not just on the quality of their output but on their innovation. Julien devised a form of repeating mechanism much used in french watches. There are examples of his work at Windsor Castle, the Wallace Collection and in the Pierpont Morgan Collection. His eldest son Pierre was considered the most eminent of all contemporary horologists. He invented a form of duplex escapement and one on which the present chronometer escapement is based. Because of the Le Roy reputation, it is not surprising that a movement by them was chosen for such a prestigious commission as the clock for Lalive de Jully.

The vase form of the clock is in itself fascinating. In the mid 18th century, young French artists who had won the Grand Prix at the Academies Royales in Paris were sent to Rome, at the expense of the king. There they trained, studying and drawing the temples and ruins from antiquity. Whilst studying, these artists supplemented their incomes by drawing imaginary vases. As a concept the vase offers as many opportunities for invention as a scroll or an arabesque and adds a three-dimensional, sculptural quality to the design process. These vase designs became famous and many were published. The vase as a decorative form became the most interesting challenge facing contemporary designers and this is why the motif is seen to occur so frequently.

Phohigrnpli by kind permission of the Musee Conde, Chnntilh/.

44

THE 19TH CENTURY

X X LATE 1 9 T H CENTURY LARGE SCALE model of an owl in terracotta, painted in a very lifelike manner, perched on a branch. French, circa 1880

Height: 24V4in (63cm) Width: 15in (38cm) Depth: llVzin (29cm)

T • dm-jm

J

A MID 1 9 T H CENTURY KIDNEY SHAPED K N E E H O L E DESK

in walnut of outstanding quality and grain, with three drawers in the front, the central one with hfting book rest, and four further graduated drawers at either side with hinged locking mechanisms, the top hned with old brown leather and the reverse fitted with adjustable bookshelves. English, circa 1850

Height: ZS'^in (73cm) Width: 51'/:in (131cm) Depth: 28in (71cm)

46

A ^ ^ VERY UNUSUAL PAIR OF 19TH CENTURY EBONISED

bobbin turned canterburies with four divisions and a shelf below. English, circa 1840

Height: 19in (48cin) Width: 17in (43cm) , Depth: 13^4 in (35cm)

47

CHANGING TRADITION

Flood and dining in the 18th century provided both a

continuity with medieval traditions and also a bridge towards modern patterns of eating. Many of the

everyday customs in a 20th century house would appear unrecognisable to our ancestors, for not only have the recipes and preparation of food changed considerably but so also has the serving and presentation of each dish, as well as the customs of eating and drinking.

During the medieval period families would eat with their retainers in the grand hall, often at an upper table, positioned at right angles to the long trestle tables and benches which sufficed for the majority. However, in a continuing search for privacy and greater comfort, smaller private rooms were used for the family to eat alone. This new practice continued during the 17th century as everyday eating rooms became known as parlours.

The earliest use of the modern term 'dining room' is from an inventory at Ham House in 1677. Here the Marble Dining Room occupies a central position on the ground floor of the house. This pre-eminence given to the eating room immediately behind the great hall broke with the tradition of private family dining being withdrawn to a private chamber. The furniture in the Marble Dining Room consisted of three oval tables and eighteen chairs, which stood around the edge of the room when not in use in order to reveal the black and white marble floor which conformed to the most fashionable Dutch taste.

The Marble Dining Room at Ham differs from Walpole's Marble Parlour at Houghton, which is the first real dining room in England. Here William Kent placed the eating room on the piano nobUe as an introduction to the decorated state apartments. At neighbouring Holkham, Kent developed his arrangements for dining. Instead of the marble recessed serving tables flanking the splendid chimney piece, an arched exedra has jib doors each side leading to the servants stair, with mirrored panels so that staff could observe proceedings at table.

Neither of these early dining rooms would have had permanent furniture resting in the centre of the room. Walpole at Houghton dined off several tables covered with cloths and brought the chairs forward from the surrounding walls. Similarly at Holkham the dining chairs were left uncarved behind because they would normally be positioned around the edge of the room. Even Adam, working towards the end of the century at Saltram, continued this tradition, when he converted the library into a dining room in 1780. The chairs were still placed around the wall and the central table removed when not in use, in order to reveal the specially woven carpet that reflected the elaborate plasterwork of the ceiling. 48

A pair of Crown Derby porcelain fruit coolers pninteii by William Cotton, circa 1805

A side table fitted into a shaped niche continued to be used by Adam through the 1760s and 1770s, as at Kedleston. This was a development from the medieval cupboard, which in the 17th century had become a side-table, on which the plate was displayed and from which the wine would be served. By the 1760s the side table had been transformed into a suite, with a long table often flanked by urn- shaped wine coolers, standing on pedestals, themselves fitted as plate warmers and storage cupboards. This grand suite of furniture became simplified through the 1780s as the side table was replaced by a fitted sideboard, with wine drawers and cupboards, integral to the table, and Sheraton's sideboard designs continued the tradition.

At the beginning of the century Richard Steele noted that 'in my memory the dinner hour has crept from 12 o'clock to 3'. By 1740 Alexander Pope was being invited to dine with his friend. Lady Suffolk, as late as four, which he believed to be too late and refused her invitations. Even the conservative university colleges adjusted their eating times and by 1767 Balliol had fixed the hour for dinner at two.

Breakfast advanced with dinner and by 1780 it was customary to sit down for the first meal at 10 o'clock. Breakfast was a social and informal meal, which divided the morning's business. Visitors might call to pay their respects and drink tea or coffee and eat, 'a kind of bread and butter, which is toasted by the fire and is incomparably good'. Small mahogany tables were designed for this purpose, but it was not until the late 18th century that breakfast began to be taken in the morning or breakfast room. The informality of breakfast strikingly contrasts with the formality of dinner.

The Frenchman Francois de la Rochefoucauld found 'this sudden change of social manners quite astonishing. In the morning you can behave as you like and it is all extremely comfortable, but in the evening the standard of politeness is uncomfortably high. Dinner is one of the most wearisome of English experiences, lasting as it does, for four or five hours.'

An invitation to dinner covered more than one meal and would last through the afternoon and evening. The guests would assemble in the drawing room, before entering the dining room in strict order of social precedence.The ladies would enter the dining room first and seat themselves around their hostess at her end of the table, and the men would follow. Men and women did not usually sit alternately around the table until late in the 18th century. Even in 1788 it was described as 'a new promiscuous mode of seating'.

A suite of Bohemian gilt glass for eight people, circa 1800

SIN GEORGIAN DINING Three from a set often ametln/st glass finger bowls, circa 1800

In the dining room the table would be covered by a long white cloth of the finest linen. Napkins were not used for much of the century following the introduction of the fork. Even in Queen Anne's reign it would have been perfectly acceptable to eat with your hands, although within a few years forks were widely accepted and one did not need to share them with other diners, as during the previous century. With forks a diner was able to eat more elegantly and therefore would dispose of his napkin, using the long table cloth to wipe his hands or mouth, which surprised may foreign visitors such as Sophie de la Roche who described a table 'covered with a fine big damask cloth on which we all wiped our mouths in the old English style'.

Much as in the 17th century, dinner was divided into two courses, followed by dessert. All the dishes would be laid on the table in a formal arrangement, like an elaborate buffet today. Quantities of meat were eaten, as improved agricultural breeding and better transport by canals and road enabled more livestock to be offered at market in better condition than in previous years.

So the first course of a dinner would comprise of a variety of boiled meat and fish with pies and accompanying vegetables. The two soups, one at each end of the table would be 'removed' by two highly elaborate roast dishes which could be discussed as conversation pieces before being carved; meanwhile the rest of the first course was cleared. The second course would comprise mostly roast dishes and perhaps lighter game birds, interspersed by the occasional fruit pie or custard. At the centre of these dishes the dessert course could be introduced by an elaborate confectionery dish. Many of the recipe books published during the 18th century gave detailed illustrated diagrams showing how each course should be presented. Even a small informal party would have 'a roast leg of lamb, with spinach chopped fine, the stuffing with flour and raisins, the sirloin of beef and a turkey poult'.

Although such quantities of food sound obscene to modern convention, diners were not expected to eat all the dishes. After the soup a man would serve himself from the dishes nearest to him while offering some to his neighbours. If later he desired some choice morsel from a dish a distance away, he must await the service of a footman who could provide a clean plate, correct cutlery and collect the appropriate dish to serve. An experienced guest might tip a servant beforehand in order to guarantee preferential treatment.

Wine and water was presented in a similar way, always served from the sideboard rather that being laid on the table as today. According to Trusler in his Rules for limiting at table of 1788, 'A good servant will ... never give a second glass of wine in a glass that has been once used. If there is not sufficient change of glasses, he should have a vessel of water under the sideboard, to dip them in and wipe them bright ... '

For the dessert, perhaps two or three hours after the guests had originally sat at table, provided a different entertainment, water glasses or fingerbowls were placed on the table, in which guests could rinse their hands and their mouth. This habit disgusted foreign visitors, one of whom found it a 'custom which strikes me as most unfortunate. The more fashionable folk do not rinse out their mouths, but that

seems to me even worse, for, if you use the water to wash your hands, it becomes dirty and quite disgusting. This ceremony over, the cloth is removed and you behold the most beautiful table it is possible to see.'

Dining tables had developed from the long narrow trestle tables, traditionally used in earlier centuries, through the gate legged table, to a wider surface with pedestal supports, avoiding the complex grouping of legs. These tables allowed for even more elaljorate decoration schemes, continuing the spectacle of Medieval 'sotelties' of elaborate sugar creations, now replaced by porcelain figures. These might be placed within a miniature garden or on a surtout plateau, whose mirrored surface would reflect the delicacy of the new porcelain being manufactured in England at this time.

The dessert course complemented this ornate table centre and was the most expensive element of the meal. The newly exposed mahogany table was decorated with elegant china baskets containing fresh and preserved fruits, sweetmeat glasses and silver epergnes, which superseded the elaborate confectionery pyramids that had to be ordered from master confectioners.

The ladies would remain for perhaps half-an-hour, before leaving the men to drink and discuss love or politics for many an hour. Chamber pots were often fitted into the new sideboards or placed in a cabinet for the drunken gentlemen to use. They would serve themselves from the sideboard during this drinking, as all servants had left the room, for as la Rochfoucauld found 'sometimes conversation becomes extremely free upon highly indecent topics.'

In the drawing room, over tea or coffee, the ladies could discuss scandal until the men joined them at perhaps 9 o'clock or later, when, after a game of cards and further conversation, supper would be served. This supper was optional, being so late in the evening, and consisted of cold meats and sweets with some wine and spirits, ending sometime before midnight. So ended an 18th century dinner, at which eating was performance and everything was a combination of spectacle and taste, the former being more important to one's social standing.

Knife and fork from a twelve piece agate handled steel dessert set,

circa 1790

49

i

' S O . '

j f V " '

M GEORC

and of very fiiie, iad^i guadruped s u p a S g e

I H S : 104in (264cm) Width: 55'/2in (141cm)

THREE PILLAR DINING TABLE OF BROAD PROPORTIONS Coibur, on spirally turned pillars with reeded •6ng in brass box castors, bearing two trade labels of

V I G ^ i e t and Chairmaker, Upholsterer &c of Taunton,

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rH I

Antique Glass at M A L L E T T

A, >.N IMPOSING GLASS BOWL A N D S T A N D , D E C O R A T E D IN THE

Regency style with cross cut diamonds leading to a serrated rim. English or Irish, circa 1830

Height: 9'A in (23.5cm) Diameter: 14in (36cm)

A FINE 1 8 T H C E N T U R Y S M A L L C H A N D E L I E R W I T H SIX A R M S B E A R I N G candles and six arms bearing spires. Glass chandeliers first appeared in England in the second quarter of the 18th century. By the end of the third quarter, an English style was fully developed by London makers such as William Parker, Thomas Betts and James Blades. This example, with its ormolu mounts, is sparingly decorated with lemon-coloured drops and is of the finest quality. At first, chandeliers appeared only in the grandest public rooms; consequently small boudoir chandeliers are extremely rare. English, circa 1775

Height: 43in (109cm) Diameter: 25'a in (64cm)

53

54

A PAIR OF EXCEPTIONALLY FINE VASES, THE FLARED BODIES CUT ALL

over with a swirling leaf pattern, on elaborately cut square bases. English, circa 1830

A . COLLECTION OF VASES WITH PEACOCK'S EYE DECORATION IN GREEN or in amethyst. This type of decoration was a speciality of Stuart & Sons, Stourbridge, in the late 19th century. By then, the ready availability of cut flowers had made flower vases an indispensable part of the Victorian household. English, circa 1895

Height of tallest vase: 8V4in (22.5 cm)

T» LWO SIMILARLY CUT EWERS, BOTH ON CUT CIRCULAR PEDESTAL FEET and decorated with diamonds. The right hand ewer has an extended spout which is typical of Irish design of this period. English or Irish, circa 1815

Height of tallest ewer: 10'/: in (26.5cm)

55

A . PAIR O F C L A R E T JUGS, BELIEVED TO BE BY T H O M A S WEBB & S O N S , decorated with the most refined cut engraving. This pattern was so expensive to manufacture that it was only available to special order through such retailers as Asprey and Thomas Goode. English, circa 1885

Height: 13in (33cm)

56

A . JUG AND TWO GLASSES BY JOHN NORTHWOOD WITH SCENES AFTER

John Flaxman. John Northwood founded his decoratmg workshop in Stourbridge in 1861. His main supplier of 'blanks' was Stevens & Williams and the workshop was soon a leading exponent of the recently developed technique of acid etching. Flaxman's illustrations to the Iliad and the Odyssey were well known. This jug and two glasses are etched with scenes illustrated in a new edition of Flaxman's work published in 1870. English, circa 1870

Height of jug: 12% in (32.5cm) Height of glass: 7in (18cm)

57

I ^ I V E GLASSES D E C O R A T E D BY THE B E I L B Y FAMILY

of Newcastle upon Tyne. English, circa 1762-1778

Height of chan^pagne flute: TAin (20cm)

The decoration of glasses by enamelling was a speciality of the Beilby family. The tall narrow glass at the back decorated with a diaper pattern would have been

for a sparkling drink; either ale, a strong beer brewed from malt and hops, or more likely in such a fine glass, champagne, a drink popular in England by 1770 when this glass was made. An identical glass is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.

The large goblet at the back was intended for wine, as it is decorated with a 'fruiting vine' motif. Although this goblet is a standard size for the period, the production of these large goblets was quite small. In the illustration traces of the original gilding can just be seen around the rim. Gilding was sometimes used as a decoration in glass, but more often in porcelain. Gilding on the rim was particularly prone to rubbing and the Beilbys overcame this by first roughening the rim, by pitting with strong acid, to aid the adhesion of the gold. These goblets may also have been used for water, but water at this time was considered to be a rather unhealthy drink, an accurate belief unless the imbiber had access to pure spring water.

The three glasses in front are wine glasses and this size is much more common than the goblet. This may seem surprising but it must be remembered that a gentleman would drink many toasts during an evening and it was discourteous to the recipient of the toast not to drain the glass. Although it was permissible, and indeed expected, in those days to become drunk in company, goblets were just too large for toasting. These wine glasses are all decorated with 'landskips' filled with classical ruins beloved of the Romantic movement. The central glass, like the goblet has a gilt rim.

All these glasses have opaque twist stems, a technique first developed by the Venetians in the late 15th century. A bundle of opaque white glass 'canes' were surrounded by clear glass and then pulled out and twisted while semi-molten, to give a rod about one metre long. This was then cooled and cut into stem lengths. The glassmaker first blew the bowl, then the stem was attached and finally a footmaker provided the foot. At this period Newcastle had a thriving glass industry giving a ready supply to the Beilbys' enamelling workshop.

The Beilby family is well recorded. William Beilby senior, a silversmith from Durham, had seven children , of which four eventually had some involvement in the enamelling concern. William junior was born in 1740 and in 1755 was apprenticed to a Birmingham drawing master and enameller, John Haseldine. Around 1761 William set up in Newcastle, eventually being helped by his younger siblings, Ralph, Thomas and Mary. Ralph became a busy engraver in his own right and probably did little enamelling. He is best remembered today as master to Thomas Bewick, the famous wood-cut engraver, during his apprenticeship. Thomas and Mary are known to have decorated glass with William.

William, using his skills learnt in Birmingham, would only need a small muffle-furnace to enamel his glass but it is a process which needs a great deal of skill. As well as being a good draughtsman, the enameller must judge the temperature of the furnace with great care. If the temperature is too low, the enamel (a form of low melting-point glass) will not 'take' and if the temperature is too high, the enamel will bubble and the glass will slump.

William only pursued this craft for seventeen years. In 1778, at the age of thirty-eight, he closed the business down and came to London where he became a drawing master in Battersea. In 1785 he married well and in 1790 he moved to Ceres, in Fife, Scotland, where in 1796 he was appointed a magistrate in Dundee. In 1810, he took the boat from Dundee to live in Hull on England's east coast, where he died in 1819.

59

60

M A L L E T T Gfl/Zery The Mallett Gallery, formerly known as the Christopher W o o d Gallery,

deals in fine 19th century pictures as well as a broader range of important and decorative paintings of all periods, a selection of which are shown here.

Ben Marshall 1 7 6 8 - 1 8 3 5 Mrs Orbys Hunter's Water Do^s 'Diver' and 'SInickleback' Carrying a Stick on the Seashore Later inscription reads: Diver and Shuckleback The Property of Mrs Orby Hunter oil on canvas 3 r / 4 X 35V4in (79.4 x 89 .5cm) Although not signed or dated, an old tablet, which could well have been attached to the original frame, gives the date 1809, which is stylistically correct.

Provenance: Thomas and Fanny Orby Hunter, Crowland Abbey, Lincolnshire Sir Walter Gilbev by whom sold Christie's, 12th-15th March 1910, Lot 120, bt Vokins for £11.11 Mr Argo Gold by whom sold Christie's 26th June 1936, Lot 58, bt Ellis and Smith for £25.4

Sackville, 5th Earl of Yarborough and thence by descent

Literature: Aubrey Noakes, Ben Marshall 1878, p 59, listed under Undated Paintings, no 276, Water Dog (sic) With Stick. To be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonne. Fanny Orby Hunter, the owner of the dogs, was daughter of James Modyford Heywood of Mariston, Devon. She married Thomas Orby Hunter of Crowland Abbey, Lincolnshire and died in January 1834. Her husband was grandson of General Robert Hunter, Governor of New York 1710-1719 and his wife Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Orby, Bt of Crowland, through whom Crowland Abbey descended. Fanny's sister Sophia, the celebrated beauty, married John Musters of Colwick, an important patron of George Stubbs. Their granddaughter Mary Musters was also painted by Marshall in 1824, when eighteen. She is shown riding her spirited grey pony. A number of works by Marshall painted in the first decade of the 19th century are neither signed nor dated, hence the small number of paintings listed under the year 1809 in Noakes's catalogue.

This attractive composition is a fine example of Marshall's ability to capture a fleeting moment alive with incident - a revolution in approach after the classic style of sporting art which had reigned for the previous forty years under the influence of George Stubbs. A Comparison can be made with Stubbs's Poodle in a punt of circa 1780 (actually a water spaniel and the same breed as the liver dog on the left of Marshall's painting). The Stubbs has a sereneness, which although no doubt is an excellent likeness, lacks the vigorous immediacy of Marshall's dogs.

The landscape is probably imaginary and shows a strong influence of 17th-century Dutch painting, especially Van Goyen. It could be a romantic interpretation of The Wash which is not far from Crowland Abbey.

61

mtn- ^

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt, ARA 1833-1898 Katie Lewis signed with initials and inscribed EB-J to GBLl . l . and dated 1886 on the painted book oil on canvas 24 X 50in (61 x 127cm)

Provenance: Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who gave it c 1897 to Sir George Lewis, the father of the sitter Lady Lewis;

Katherine Lewis, the sitter and thence by descent to her niece, Ehzabeth Wansbrough

Exhibited: London, Grosvenor Gallery, 1887, Exhibition of works bi/ Sir Edxvard Burne-Jones, Bart, 1898-9, no 77 London, Tate Gallery, Centenan/ Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Sir Ediimrd Burne-Jones, Bart (1833-1898), 1933, no 32 London, Hayward Gallery, Southampton Art Gallery, and Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, Burne-Jones, 1976, no 240 London, Sotheby's, Childhood, loan exhibition, 1988, no 273 Literature: Malcolm Bell, Sir Edward Burne-Jones, A Record and Review, 1898, p 64 Martin Harrison and Bill Waters, Burne-Jones, 1973, pi 38 Burne-Jones Talking - His Conversations 1895-1898 preserved by his studio assistant Thomas Rooke, edited by Mary Lago, 1981, pp 164-5 Letters to Katie from Edward Burne-Jones, introduced by John Christian, 1988 reproduced fig 3, p 20

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones was leader of the second phase of Pre-Raphaelitism, the Aesthetic Movement, in the same way Leighton was leader of the Classical Movement. He was born in Birmingham. He went to Exeter College, Oxford in 1852, where he became friends with William Morris. At this time he wished to become a clergyman, but was so impressed by the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, that he decided to become a painter. He later became a pupil of Rossetti when he left Oxford.

Like George Frederick Watts and John Ruskin, Burne-Jones greatly admired the Venetian School, especially Titian, Giorgione, Tintoretto and Carpaccio, as well as the work of Botticelli, Andrea Mantegna, Leonardo and Michelangelo. He forged all his influences - Italianate, Classical and Pre-Raphaehte - into a unique style of his own.

Another important development in his career was his partnership in the firm Morris & Co with William Morris. He was the firm's most prolific designer, and as a result there was a continual synthesis between painting and design in his work. Nearly all his pictures have their origins in designs for some other medium, either stained glass, tapestries, tiles, mosaics, books, furniture or embroidery.

In 1877 the Grosvenor Gallery had its inaugural exhibition. The brainchild of Sir Coutts Lindsay and his wife Blanche, it was situated in a fine Italianate building on Bond Street. The gallery was intended to rival the Royal Academy, and to promote the more progressive artists of the day, both

English and European. Burne-Jones was persuaded to exhibit eight paintings, which were all hung together on one wall. He became famous overnight, and the British public realised that they had a genius in their midst. In his famous review of the 1877 exhibition, Henry James singled out Burne-Jones and wrote:

'In the palace of art their are many chambers, and that of which Mr Burne-Jones holds the key is a wondrous museum'.

His success had come late as by 1877 he was already in his mid forties. He always remained something of an outsider. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1885, but only exhibited there once, and resigned in 1893. He remained faithful to the Grosvenor Gallery until its closure in 1887, and then transferred his allegiance to the New Gallery in Regent Street.

Burne-Jones became a leader of the Aesthetic Movement, but could never totally accept its philosophy that art existed for art's sake and for no other purpose. He was a typically earnest Mid-Victorian moralist who wanted to improve the lot of mankind, believing that this could be achieved through art. However at the end of his life, he felt a sense of failure and disappointment. Art had done nothing to check the spread of materialism and ugliness in the 19th century. Nonetheless, by the end of his career, his work was known and admired all

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over Europe - even in Barcelona, where the young Picasso admired his pictures in the pages of the Studio magazine.

Burne-Jones had many pupils and imitators, including Frederic Sandys, Simeon Solomon, J. M. Strudwick, T. M. Rooke, J. R. Spencer Stanhope, Charles Fairfax Murray, Evelyn de Morgan and others, who carried his ideas well into the 20th century.

Katie Lewis was born in 1878, the youngest daughter of Burne-Jones's close friends George and Elizabeth Lewis. According to the catalogue of the New Gallery exhibition of 1898-9, the present portrait was painted over the period 1882-6, and was therefore begun when Katie Lewis was four years old. Burne-Jones portrays her lying outstretched on a sofa or day-bed, reading a book which is open at the page which shows an illustration of St George and the dragon. She wears a dark green velvet dress, and at her feet sits a small dog. The entire area of the background - including the fabric of the piece of furniture on which she lies, the pillows, and the draperies that form the backdrop to the composition, even an apple or orange placed at the right side of the composition -are painted in a restricted range of golden colours, calculated to set off the lustrous dark tones of Katie's hair and dress.

Burne-Jones' portrait of Katie Lewis was shown at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1887. It was not given a prominent position, being placed in one of the side galleries rather than the West Gallery which was the principal exhibition space, and for this reason it seems to have been little noticed. This was the last year that Burne-Jones exhibited at the Grosvenor. In October 1887, the dispute between Charles Halle and Joseph Comyns Carr, each supported by Burne-Jones, and Sir Coutts Lindsay, the gallery's founder and proprietor, about how the gallery should be run, came into the open, and in due course the New Gallery was set up, where Burne-Jones began to exhibit instead. It seems likely that Burne-Jones still owned the painting at the time, and that in fact he held on to it until the mid 1890s, only then presenting it to Katie's parents. This at least seems to be implied by the touching entry for 19th October 1897 in T. M. Rooke's diarv account of a conversation

in Burne-Jones' studio, in which the latter described George and Elizabeth Lewis's reaction to the painting:

'Sir G. Lewis was very pleased with his daughter's portrait that I sent him the other day. Vowed it was exactly like her now, tho' it isn't. For she is a young lady of 22, and when it was "done", she was only a child of 8. He didn't know what to do to thank me. His wife did it quite successfully, but he couldn't. All he could do was to make me take away as many boxes of cigars as he could lay hands on. He fidgeted about the room to try and find something that I would like, and couldn't satisfy him at all. Rather pathetic, wasn't it, to see a man in that state who is the terror of the aristocracy of England and knows enough to hang half the Dukes and Duchesses in the Kingdom ... ' (Burne-Jones Talking, op cit, p 164)

It is not clear whose idea it first was that Burne-Jones should paint Katie - that of her parents or of Burne-Jones himself - or indeed in whose house the painting was intended to hang, but its great originality may be understood as the result of the independence that Burne-Jones allowed himself when no particular expectations were placed upon him by sitter or patron. The portrait abandons the conventions of child portraiture as they operated in the Victorian age, eliminating all trace of sentimentality or play-acting, and refusing to place the child on display for the delectation of an adult audience. The portrait is informal, and the spectator is allowed to catch the mood of utter absorption inspired by the girl's attention to the book.

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Jessica Hayllar 1858-1940 A Committee of Taste (Hard to Decide) signed and dated 1891; with old label on reverse of stretcher oil on canvas 17 X 24'/2in (43 x 62.3cm)

Exhibited: Royal Academy 1891, no 928

Literature: Christopher Wood 'The Artistic Family Hayllar', Comwisseiir Magazine, April-May 1974

John Bostock fl 1826-1869 Arming for Conquest signed and inscribed on original label on reverse oil on canvas 36 X 48in (83 x 110cm)

Exhibited: Royal Academy 1866

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English School, mid 19th century Garland of Roses Surrounding a ledge of Fruit and a Glass of Wme

oil on canvas 27 X 24 in (68.5 x 61 cm)

65

{ /t^-Mif.MK .-l, At rt ' .

Sydenham Teak Edwards 1768-1819 Dodo and Ostrich signed pencil, pen, ink and watercolour 8V4 X 7in (22.3 x 18cm)

Porcupine and Cain/ signed pencil, pen, ink and watercolour 8y4 X 7in (22.3 x 18cm)

Ostrich and New Holland Cassowary signed pencil, pen, ink and watercolour 8V4 x 7in (22.3 x 18cm)

Bears and Badgers signed pencil, pen, ink and watercolour 8y4x7in (22.3 X 18cm)

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John Varley, ows 1778-1842 View on the Mondego River, Spain signed and dated 1813; also signed, dated and inscribed on tiie reverse View on the Mondego River, Spain, from a sketch by Capt Demaresq pencil and watercolour \5Vi X 24in (39.5 x 61cm)

Provenance: Colnaghi

Exhibited: Old Watercolour Society, 1814, number 298

John Varley was a landscape and architectural watercolourist. He published works on drawing, perspective and astrology and had a considerable reputation as an art teacher. Among his pupils were William Henry Hunt, Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding, William Turner of Oxford, David Cox, John Linnell and William Mulready. Varley himself studied under J. C. Barrow, a teacher of drawing.

This idealised, romantic landscape is captured by Varley using soft tones and golden light, a style common in many of his pictures.

From 1798 to 1843 Varley exhibited at the British Institute, Royal Society of British Artists Suffolk Street, the Royal Academy (1798-1841), and chiefly at the Old Watercolour Society.

Sydenham Teak Edwards was born in Usk (Monmouth) in 1768, but was taken to London by William Curtis, founder of the Botanical Magazine who had recognised his skill as a draughtsman. From 1798 he was a regular contributor of illustrations to the magazine, and worked on the Cynographia Britannica, consisting of coloured engravings of the various breeds of dogs in Great Britain (1800-1805). He was also involved with the Nezv Botanic Garden Neio Flora Britannica.

In 1818, Edwards left the Botanical Magazine to found a rival publication, the Botanical Register, for which he provided illustrations to texts by J. B. Ker-Gawler, and subsequently Dr John Lindley.

Edwards' skill as a painter of wildlife is evident in these delightful studies of mammals and birds, which are both highly decorative and of zoological interest.

Edwards exhibited twelve paintings of flowers and animals at the Royal Academy between 1792 and 1814. He died at Chelsea aged 51.

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A VERY RARE SMALL SCALE MAHOGANY JEWEL CASKET ATTRIBUTED to David Roentgen, the top and sides being inlaid with tiles of lapis lazuli, linked by gold wire, each panel of tiles framed by fine quality ormolu. The interior has two tiers with small drawers beneath and a mirror in the cover. The casket is protected by a substantial lock. Probably Neuwied, circa 1780

Height: 4in (10cm) Width: Sin (20cm) Depth: 6in (15cm)

This precisely made jewel casket came from the Castle at Baden Baden, one of the many palaces of the Margraves of Baden Baden. In the collection were many pieces supplied by Abraham Roentgen and his son, David. We know that in 1769 the Margravine, Caroline Louise of Baden, ordered several pieces from Abraham and it is also possible that she had placed orders earlier for her palace at Karlsruhe.

The jewel casket exhibits many characteristics typical of this famous family of cabinetmakers. Abraham Roentgen travelled throughout Europe as a journeyman between 1731 and 1738 and is known to have been in England, probably in 1733, for at least 18 months. Here he learned his distinctive cabinetmaking style. When he returned to Neuwied, he taught his son, David, the skills that he had acquired. In 1772, David Roentgen sent to his customers information about the production of his shop ... 'David Roentgen, English Cabinetmaker in Neuwied on the Rhine manufactures and sells all sorts of room furnishings, according to the English or French taste, in line with the newest fashions and inventions, i.e. desks, commodes, toilet tables, games tables, caskets, working tables for ladies, embroidering frames, finely shaped chairs, sofas etc, all of different shapes and types, some with marquetry work showing figures and flowers of rather lively design. Some are made of West Indian Mahogany without marquetry with English locks and gilt ormolu.'

In 1774, David went to Paris in order to extend his business. There he acquired his rich and flamboyant style, influenced by his contemporary Riesener who was made 'ebeniste du Roi' in the same year. In 1783, David went to St Petersburg and sold, to Catherine The Great, a remarkable desk for 20,000 thaler. The Empress was so impressed by the piece that she paid him an extra 5,000 and gave him a gold box. From these disparate elements, a picture emerges of the range and diversity of the Roentgen family's oeuvre; this jewel casket could be considered a synopsis of all these strands. The detail of the cabinetmaking is precise and English in character. The way in which the drawers and tiers fit together is reminiscent of the playful mechanisms so popular in Germany and popularised throughout Europe by Roentgen. The fine quality of the ormolu mounts and the rich use of lapis lazuli (linked by solid gold wire) seem to speak of the Parisian connection.

How the casket came to be at Baden Baden is open to conjecture. However, we have one very tendentious clue. In 1769, the Roentgen family finances were in a dire state and they were given permission bv the State to hold a lottery. The Margravine, Caroline Louise, purchased 30 tickets: it is recorded that she won a small table, a bedside table and two other small pieces. The small pieces are not recorded, but it is amusing to suggest that the jewel casket might have been a lottery win.

M A L L E T T at Bourdon House

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A FINE QUALITY LARGE SCALE LOUIS XV M A R Q U E T R Y b o m b e c o m m o d e having a breccia marble top with a rounded edge and two drawers sans traverse, the front and sides decorated with shaped panels of floral marquetry , the centre panel decorated with a marquetry bird amongs t foliage above a s imilarly w o r k e d vase, m o u n t e d with unusual , boldly formed ormolu, French, circa 1755

Height : 34V4in (88cm) Width : 52in (132cm) Depth: 27in (68cm)

The gilt-bronze mounts are of strongly individual and unusual design, and of a kind not normally found on this type of commode, which usually has standard pattern mounts. The shaping of the commode is restrained and sophisticated and the quality and design of the floral marquetry is also of an exceptional standard.

Whilst this commode is not signed, similar commodes are known by P. Roussel, F. Rubestuck, Hedouin and a number of other ebenistes. It is difficult to attribute this one to any cbeniste in particular, but it seems not unreasonable to suppose that the marquetry on all of these pieces was the work of a group of marqueteurs who moved from the workshop of one ebeniste to another, or supplied them with loose panels. Without doubt this commode, because of its high quality, unusual features and particularly important mounts, must have been the work of one of the leading ebenistes of the period.

Similar commodes are found in important museums and collections, and they are frequently illustrated in all the relevant literature on 18th century French furniture.

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72

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A, . N EXTREMELY RARE MID 1 8 T H CENTURY VENETIAN ROCOCO polychrome lacquer gondola form crib. T h e moulded edges with carved foliate detail are gi lded, the main b o d y decorated on a ye l low ochre ground with low relief carving of green foliate scrolls and pendant swags and f lowers tied by central red r ibbons and support ing gar lands of spears and arrows. Around the b o d y of the piece, four circular cartouches depict gilt putti on a b lue ground in various pursuits . The crib s tands on an elaborately carved stand repeat ing similar motifs and having cabriole legs with a carved oval car touche on each knee, containing gilt profiles on a b lue ground with pendant leaf carving be low, terminat ing in scroll toes. Italian, circa 1750

Height: 37in (94cm) Length: 52in (132cm) Depth: 24in (61cm)

Throughout Europe from the end of the 16th century onwards, the fashion for all things Eastern developed and became at times all pervasive. Almost immediately demand outstripped supply and European craftsmen tried to emulate the imported wares. In the great sea trading capitals like Venice, one finds the finest European efforts. So embedded was the local trade that by the 18th century the artisans of the local guild of 'depentores' felt confident enough to shrug off slavish chinoiserie imitation and indulged their indigenous stylistic influences. From Raphael to Tiepolo we cannot avoid the vivid colours of Venetian art, the greens, the blues, the reds and yellows all declare the vivacity of Venetian life and commerce. It is hard for us to appreciate how intense the polychrome interiors of the Venetian settecento must have looked. Hans Huth in Lacquer of the West tries to conjure up something of the atmosphere describing the Palazzo Dona delle Rose: 'Picture low ceilinged mezzanine rooms filled with charming, small scale pieces of furniture provided for the sole purpose of making life comfortable and pleasant'. Painted furniture had never known such popularity. In 1754 in Venice there were twenty five registered lacquer masters who employed twice that number of apprentices and by 1773 there were forty nine masters with apprentices.

When we think of Italy in the 18th century, we cannot help but recall the 'Grand Tour'. Not just from England but from all over Europe, noblemen travelled with tutors and guides to the Mecca of the city states of Italy. Venice with its painted and gilt extravagance must have been an extraordinary experience. Of course, the stated main purpose of the 'Grand Tour' was education, but collecting treasures was the implicit and actual purpose. Hence Italian painted furniture and in particular this crib found its way to England.

The decorative features of the crib are a Venetian melting pot of ideas. The vignette panels depicting shaven headed males appear to be turkish or moorish slaves, the archetype Venetian decoration. Until very recently, carved and painted blackamoors have been a standard of Venetian creation. On the body of the crib, the vignettes are of amorini, seemingly naive versions of ormolu mounts found on French furniture, very much a rococo motif. Taking the piece in its entirety, in the rich asymmetric design, the variety of colours and low relief carving of flowers, scrolls, ribbons and cartouches, we can observe the influence of the great painters of the day. This crib was never meant for practical use, just as we see carved and gilded cups and coffee pots; it is a tour de force of the decorative arts and owes more to sculpture than it does to furniture.

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A VERY LARGE AND FINE SERVICE OF EMPIRE PARIS porcelain, by Dagoty and Honore, the white porcelain u'ith yellow ground borders enriched with brightly burnished gilt ornament in repeating patterns of a stylised floral character. The pieces bear the factory red stencil mark beneath, 'Dagoty & Honore M'ture Duchesse D'Angouleme'. French, circa 1820

The Dagoty & Honore service consists of : 15 soup plates 9'/»in (23cm) diameter 38 plates, 9Vsin (23cm) diameter 17 plates 9'/2in (24cm) diameter 1 circular snake-handled tureen, cover and stand - MV^in (37cm) diameter of stand 4 circular vegetable dishes and covers, 9'/2in (24cm) wide 4 square vegetable dishes and covers, 878in (22cm) square 4 navette-shaped dishes, 9% in (24cm) wide 2 sauce boats and stands, 9yHin (25cm) long 11 juice pots and covers, 3% in (9cm) high 2 large circular platters, 16in (40cm) diameter 1 circular platter, 15V4in (40cm) diameter 1 deep circular platter, 15in (38cm) diameter) 2 large oval platters, ISVjin (47cm) long 3 oval platters, 15'/: in (39cm) long 1 circular mazarine, WAin (30cm) diameter 1 two-part mazarine for a large oval platter, M'Ain (37cm) long overall

(111 pieces in all)

Despite the political upheavals of the French revolution, and then the Napoleonic period, the trade and manufac ture of porcelain continued. Indeed, the first two decades of the 19th century could b e considered the golden age of Paris porcelain. Four n a m e s stand out from this period as being particularly successful and influential: they w e r e Dihl and Guerhard , Dagoty and Honore .

Firstly, there were Dihl and Guerhard w h o s e factory was named after their patron, the Due d ' A n g o u l e m e and was in the Rue du Temple . T h e factory enjoyed patronage from the Empress Josephine , in 1804 Dihl b e c a m e 'innnufnctiire de rimpcraticc', Prince Eugene and Q u e e n Hortense. Indeed, the factory was a fashionable place to be seen. A m o n g s t the best apprent ices of Dihl and Guerhard were two of the Dagoty brothers. They took over, probably in 1798, a mor ibund porcelain factory in the Rue de Chevreuse . Pierre Louis Dagoty was destined to b e c o m e o n e of the finest producers of the Empire period and would also gain the patronage of the Empress . T h e Dagotys did not just b e c o m e great artists, they had it in their blood; their father was a noted engraver and their grandfather was equal ly famous as a naturalist and engraver . Sadly, Etienne Dagoty died in 1800, leaving his

brother to run the firm on his own. It f lourished and in 1816 Dagoty allied his bus iness with that of H o n o r e (father and sonX Thereby a very powerful organisat ion was created which included two Parisian porcelain factories, a provincial one and two shops in the Boulevard Poissoniere.

This liaison lasted only four years but saw the apogee of their craft, dur ing this period this service was produced. T h e shop in the Boulevard Poissoniere was considered one of the most elegant in Paris.

Success fol lowed success and in the il lustrious Paris 'exposit ion' of 1819 Dagoty and H o n o r e won a silver medal , the gold medal going to the Sarguemines factory for their porcelain s imulated porphyry (ref the S a r g u e m i n e s torchere illustrated in Mallett 's 1995 catalogue pp 66 -67 ) . Dagoty and H o n o r e produced a remarkably varied range of forms and decorat ive styles but the most consistent e lement of their work was its very fine quality. Indeed, they even procured a commiss ion from the American President, A n d r e w Jackson, for a dinner service.

The design for this service is a free adaption of a Dihl and Guerhard design illustrated on page 332 of Faicucc ct i>orcclaiiw de Paris by Regine de Plinval de Guil lebon.

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A . SET OF SIX ITALIAN NEO-CLASSICAL GILTWOOD SIDE CHAIRS WITH r i c h l y c a r v e d p e d i m e n t e d b a c k s d e p i c t i n g a p a i r o f c a r v e d g r i f f i n a b o v e s t y l i s e d s e r p e n t i n e f l o r a l c a r v i n g o n a p u n c h e d g r o u n d s u p p o r t e d b y f l u t e d p i l a s t e r s w i t h a r u n n i n g h u s k m o t i f b e n e a t h , s t a n d i n g o n l i o n ' s p a w l e g s to t h e f r o n t b e l o w a f l u t e d s e a t ra i l a n d h a v i n g s a b r e b a c k l e g s . T h e d e s i g n a t t r i b u t e d to D i o n i s o a n d / o r L o r e n z o S a n t i . I t a l i a n , c i r c a 1 8 1 0

H e i g h t : 40'/2in ( 1 0 3 c m ) W i d t h : 2 2 i n ( 5 6 c m ) D e p t h o f sea t : 18 in ( 4 6 c m )

Provenance: Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire and Wynyard Park, Durham

This set of six chairs form part of a long and complex history that unites Italy, Britain and France. T w o designs exist for these chairs, identical but for one small detail, which is that the cresting is either domed or triangular. The design was published in Modeles ties Meubles, 1812, pi XLI no 6 by Dioniso and/or Lorenzo Santi. Examples of these chairs exist in collections in Europe and America. There is a settee in the Dulwich Picture Gallery, there is a part suite at Malmaison and there is an armchair in a private collection in N e w York. The genesis of these two sets is unclear. However , it is known that Cardinal Fesch, Napoleon 's uncle, owned two long sets, one of each type of cresting. It is possible that he commiss ioned them from Santi. The chairs were sold as Lots 444 and 445 in the Fesch Sale in Paris in 1816. A suite with arched backs can be seen around the walls in a gouache of the bal lroom of the Villa Demidoff in 1842.

This set of chairs form part of the extensive suite which lined the walls of the grand drawing room at Wil l iam Beckford's Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire. The suite is illustrated in I. Rutter 's Delineations of Fonthill of 1823 and they were sold as Lots 15341 -40 on the 32nd day of the Great Fonthill Sale that s a m e year. Beckford bought m a n y of his fine pieces at the post-revolution and post-Napoleonic sales in Paris.

l a m e s Wyatt ' s son, Philip, commenced the palatial remodell ing of Wynyard Park, Durham, in 1822 for the distinguished soldier and statesman, the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry. Philip Wyatt knew Beckford well and it w a s probably on his advice that the chairs were bought for Wynyard . A photograph of circa 1880 shows one of the armchairs in situ in the classical Sculpture Gallery at Wynyard.

The Grand Draicing Room at Fonthill from Delineations of Fonthill h/ Riitter.

La Sala da ballo della Villa Demidoff a San Danato In/ Fortune de Fonrnier Watercolour, 1841. Galcrin d'Arte Moderua, Fhvrnee.

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A REGENCE COMMODE ATTRIBUTED TO CAREL, WITH TWO LONG A N D two short drawers having quartered veneers in kingwood with boxwood inlay and lacquered bronze mounts, the handle supports being sea horses, the drawers flanked and divided by brass inlaid flutes; also with the exceptional feature of two secret drawers: one between the short drawers and the other between the long; the sides being decorated with a diamond-pattern inlay. French, circa 1725

Height: 34V2in (88cm) Width: 51 in (130cm) Depth: 25'/2in (65cm)

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We attribute this unusual commode to a mysterious Parisian cabinet maker, Carel. The mystery arises because a number of pieces bear his stamp, yet, despite the obvious fame that they evidence there is practically no

biographical detail to disclose. Almost identical to this commode is one with his stamp illustrated on page 150 of Le Mobilier Franqais du XVIII siecic by Pierre Kjellberg. It has been suggested on the basis of stylistic reasons that Carel might have been the son of Nicolas Carel who worked at Versailles for the Royal household towards the end of the 17th century or that he could have been Jacques Philippe Carel who worked with Thomas Hache in Grenoble in 1712. According to Pierre Verlet, with what might be called a happy compromise, he is a Parisian with contacts in the South.

Despite our limited knowledge of the man, what cannot be denied is the elegance of his cabinet making, his fine marquetry and the original mounts he used on his furniture, all of which denote a cabinet maker perfectly at home with the sophisticated Parisian tastes of the 18th century. The strength of the forms he used look back towards the classicism of the Regence period. However, the ever present sense of playfulness clearly acknowledges the rococo. In the Los Angeles County Museum there is a pair of richly ornamented corner cabinets stamped Carel, which bear the crowned ' C stamp on the mounts. This stamp was a copper tax stamp between 1745 and 1749 and is very reveahng as it is perhaps the best way of dating the oeuvre of Carel, placing it at the crossroads between Regence and Louis XV.

A REMARKABLE EARLY 1 9 T H CENTURY MAHOGANY GAMES TABLE BY Jean- Joseph Chapuis , having three levels, the top being finely f igured mahogany . Below is a card playing surface and be low that a marquetry chess board; a trigger beneath the f rame releases a b a c k g a m m o n box. Beside the chess board are two disguised tambour l idded c o m p a r t m e n t s containing chess pieces. The table has two drawers and stands on turned tapering legs. S t a m p e d twice C H A P U I S . Belgian, circa 1820

Height : 32in (81cm) Width : 33in (84cm) Depth: 16y2in (42cm)

Jean-Joseph Chapuis was without doubt one of Belgian cabinet-making's most illustrious sons. Born in 1765, he died just short of a hundred years later in 1864. At the time of writing not much is really known of his life and works. However, in the last couple of years his fame has been rediscovered. He lived in Brussels and there exercised a great deal of influence. In 1806 he is recorded as going to Chateau Laeken, where with other Belgian experts he checked over and valued furniture coming from Paris for the Chateau. Unsurprisingly, his valuations were significantly lower than the prices paid by the government in Paris. This afforded him the opportunity of supplying pieces himself. Chapuis' most prolific period was the first three decades of the 19th century and by 1831, he had more or less ceased to be active.

His work is characterised by tremendous playfulness and innovation. He was influenced by the work of the Roentgen family as this games table clearly demonstrates. Mechanisms and cabinet-making surprises were very dear to his heart and he experimented with lamination. Mallett at Bourdon House had a centre table in 1987 which had sabre legs each constructed from layers of wood - over fifteen in each case. Chapuis manifested his pride by frequently stamping his work many times. The games table is stamped twice but the centre table we had was stamped on every member. It is to be hoped that in the next few years this remarkable cabinet-maker, the Belgian Roentgen, will receive the recognition he deserves.

The background illustrates a Roentgen design for a multiple games table.

A Card table by Roentgen illustrated in Abraham und David Roentgen Mobel fur Europa Band 2 plate no 351.

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A . WILLIAM IV S H A G R E E N C O V E R E D BRASS G R E G O R I A N TABLE telescope standing on a finely modelled brass tripod with turned wooden handles for fine adjustment focusing. Signed W & S JONES, 30 Holborn, London. English, circa 1820

Height to centre of telescope: 19'/2in (50cm) Length: 28in (71cm)

William and Samuel Jones were brothers and active from 1791 until 1859. They moved premises to 30 Holborn in 1800 continuing to work at this address until the company closed. Their trade plate described them as philosophical, mathematical and optical instrument makers. They are known to have sold globes by W. & J. Bardin, as well as everything from planetaria and sundials to electrostatic generators and waywisers. The records show that they employed a number of apprentices during their years in business, many of whom became successful scientific instrument makers in their own right. William Jones, the older of the two partners, was registered as an optician and was apprenticed to his father, John Jones, in 1776. The apprenticeship of his younger brother

Samuel is not recorded. Both William and Samuel were freemen of the Spectaclemakers Guild and were in partnership with their father until his retirement in 1788.

The Jones business was prominent in the field of producing highly decorative and finely made telescopes. In particular one notes that shagreen was reserved for only the most prestigious pieces. The Gregorian telescope itself was still a relatively rare model at the time of this example. The idea of using mirrors rather than simple lenses had been proposed by James Gregory as early as 1663. Despite the fact that telescopes of this type bear his name, it was not until the 1720s that good enough quality mirror was available to perfect the system.

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A VERY RARE A N D unusual pair of Empire parcel gilt lead t o r c h e r e s / b r u l e par fum with removable covers decorated with a cluster of laurel leaves surrounded b y a border of stylised leaves with a bold gadrooned border , the s tems being fluted with foliate bases and cresting, s tanding on a tripod base decorated with panels of leaves and open anthemia , terminating in boldly model led c law feet. French, circa 1800

Height: 55in (140cm) Width: 17in (43cm)

Lead has always been popular with craftsmen. Both durable and easily castable, because of its low melting point, it has excited the attention of designers since antiquity. One finds sarcophagi in beautiful relief from Roman times and today no garden centre is without one or two poorly made reproductions. As popular as lead has been for exterior work, so it is rare for interiors. When sculpture is made for inside it is most uncommon for it to be found made of lead. Moreover, the majority of leadwork is either for functional items like pipework and cisterns or figurative sculpture of the type made famous in the mid 18th century by John Cheere. (See the cover of the Mallett Catalogue for 1992.) Consequently, these torcheres are extremely unusual.

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THE ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN'S DINING CHAIRS

A. LN EXCEPTIONAI. SET OF FOURTEEN REGENCY COVE

back mahogany dining chairs, the backs being of figured mahogany with carved scroll brackets, the lathe turned tapering front legs surmounted by round paterae linked by a reeded front seat rail and having sabre back legs, all standing on brass castors. N o w upholstered in green horsehair. English, circa 1815

Height 32in (81cm) Width: 26in (66cm) Depth: 25in (63cm)

Provenance: His Grace Euseby Cleaver, Lord Archbiship of Dublin For similar chairs, see Edward T. Joy English Furniture 1800-1851 p 58.

The chairs were supplied by Gillington of Dublin for Euseby Cleaver, Lord Archbishop of Dublin from 1809 to 1820, for the Palace House, St Stephen's Green, Dublin. They remained in the Synod Hall of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin until the early 1980s.

The brothers George and Samuel Gillington are recorded at several addresses in Dublin between 1815 and 1838, but their retail premises and workshops were located in Abbey Street, These chairs are stamped B7611, which is a characteristic four-figure stamp of the order number associated with Gillington.

Archbishop Cleaver was educated at Winchester and Christ Church, Oxford. With the patronage of Lord Egremont, he was appointed in 1787 to be Chaplin to the Marquis of Buckingham, Viceroy of Ireland. He was raised to the See of Cork and Ross two years later and suffered greatly at the hands of the rebels during the revolt of 1798. Translated to the See of Dublin in 1809, he was one of the first resident Primates of Ireland. His house was attacked and burnt by anti-English mobs in 1810 and he died in office in 1820.

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THE ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN'S DINING CHAIRS

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A LATE 18TH CENTURY BLACK LACQUER TABLE WITH gilt decoration standing on pierced and carved frame and tortoiseshell lacquered legs. The top opens to reveal a fitted interior with reversible games board inlaid for the games of Lei Qi and Xiang Qi. Chinese, circa 1780

Height: 32in (82cm) Width: 32in (82cm)

This games table has the most elaborate combinations of lacquer. The removable top is decorated with foliate arabesques and decorated with Yin and Yang motifs alternating with gilt flowers surrounding the border. Each of the four sides has three compartments with elegantly pierced lids which are decorated with brilliantly coloured lacquer, golds, reds and greens. These compartments could be used for each player's stone counters and gambling money.

The centre playing board, made from Huanghuali wood, is marked for the two Chinese games described below and lifts off to reveal a lacquer tray inlaid with mother of pearl and tortoiseshell in abstract geometric patterns surrounded by four dragons in gold lacquer. The edges of the tray are painted with Simurg birds fighting. These birds represent the eternal struggle between the elements, air and fire and earth and water. Inside the tray the circular Yin and Yang symbol is engraved in numerous mother of pearl medallions. When this last tray is removed the final lacquer surface is revealed, which depicts an interlacing network of natural and geometric lines with flowers and foliage at each junction.

The decoration of the whole table is not only extremely complex but also symbolic. The eternal struggle between the black and white sides of each individual's soul, the Yin and Yang, is reinforced by the struggle between the four elements represented by the Simurg birds. This struggle in reality is taking place on the games board between the black and white players, for which this whole table has been created. Much money, much power and many reputations have been won and lost playing these games throughout thousands of years

of Chinese history and the richness in the decoration of this table shows how important such board games were in China.

Co is the Japanese name given to the Chinese game Wei Qi. It is a game of territorial possession which is played by two players on a square board marked with 361 intersections. Each player takes a turn placing stones (black for one, and white for the other) on the intersections of each square in such a way as to surround as much territory as possible. The player who encloses the greater area is the winner.

It is a game of enormous skill in which players are ranked according to their ability. These rankings range from first dan up to eighth dan. There are also additional awards for tournament winners up to tenth dan. Below these are a number of grades for novices.

The world of professional play requires considerable dedication and ability. The standards on which promotions are based are correspondingly rigorous and because of this a professional player is usually stronger than an amateur, even when they both possess the same ranking.

In play the more skilful player has the white stones and black moves first. There are handicap rules which favour black, allowing his stones to be places at specified locations on the board prior to the start of the game. How many stones he is allowed to place naturally depends on his handicap. This allows for even, competitive games to be played at all levels and Go is still one of the three most popular indoor games in both China and Japan.

The reverse side of the board is for the game Xiang Qi. This game has remained even more popular in China than Wei Qi because it does not take so long to complete. It is a game played by two players moving in turn in a similar manner to chess. The object of the game is to immobilise the opposing King so that he cannot evade capture.

Each player has twenty pieces of eight different ranks. A handicap system exists within the rules, in a similar way to Wei Qi, where a superior player removes one or more of his own pieces from the board before starting. Xiang Qi was introduced to Japan from China in the 8th century and it has developed into Shogi, which remains an extremely popular game. Much like Go, professional tournaments are organised and much money is staked on such competition today.

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A WHITE MEISSEN METAL MOUNTED BIRDCAGE VASE EMBLEMATIC OF air, modelled by J. J. Kandler, of inverted baluster form with pierced sides applied with scrolling foliage and surmounted by a parrot and clouds, the interior with two finches. German, circa 1748

Height: 25'A in (65cm) Width: 13in (33cm)

A PAIR OF MID 1 8 T H CENTURY WHITE BOW PORCELAIN MODELS OF couchant lions, after an antique model. English, circa 1755

Length: 11 in (28cm) Height: 5^4 in (15cm)

Literature: Meissener PorzeUnn, Ernst Zimmerman pi 47 European Ceramic Art, W. B. Honey

The regular manufacture of white porcelain in Europe did not start until 1713. At this time the Meissen porcelain factory in Dresden, Saxony (under the direction of Johan Frederich Bottger) perfected their experiments of 1708 and 1709 by substituting kaolin for the local clay. Although white porcelain was made in considerable quantity it was not until after Bottger's death, when Johan Gregor Herold became manager of the company, that the Meissen factory became secure.

An immense variety of new types of decoration were introduced and the porcelain itself was improved by the introduction of feldspar, replacing the marble and alabaster fluxes which had been used by Bottger. The actual modelling of the porcelain developed under the sculptor Kirchner who was appointed in 1727 and again in 1730. However, the major expansion of this sculptural side of porcelain manufacture was inspired by Johan Joachim Kandler who was engaged to work with Kirchner in 1731. This partnership lasted for three years and then, for more than twenty years, Kandler continued to work with several assistants modelling the numerous porcelain figures on which the reputation of Meissen today so largely depends.

There was considerable rivalry between Kandler and Herold, the one responsible for modelling the other painting. The direction of the company, both financial and to some extent artistic, during this period was the responsibility of Count Heinrich Bruhl. Following the death of Augustus the Strong in 1733 he became chief minister of Augustus III. The early baroque sculptures soon gave way to the lighter rococo designs which dominated the 1740s and Kandler's style was strongly influenced by French motifs. The large white birdcage falls into this period and copies the famous set of

four vases originally commissioned by Count Bruhl in 1747-8. These vases were symbolical of the four elements and reflect the asymmetry of the contemporary rococo aesthetic. This model with birds is emblematic of air, having pierced sides with altozier basketwork frame and being surmounted by clouds.

The Meissen porcelain itself remained uniformly brilliant with a glittering and hard brightness that was practically flawless. Bow porcelain on the other hand was a soft paste porcelain which at its best is of an ivory-like texture, having a creamy tone with bright flecks. The figures were chiefly drawn from Meissen models but were produced with a naive charm combining often incongruous elements. For instance, the pair of lions illustrated lie with crossed paws making them appear more docile than a domestic cat.

Although much later production was highly decorated, the modelHng can always best be seen in the clear white porcelain because the soft paste porcelain did not take well to later transfer printing and the prints often appear blurred. Coloured pieces by Bow are also distinctive, often displaying vivid colours in bold dissonance. The white, undecorated wares, such as these lions, are very rare, as the use of colour or transfer designs predominated. Other models of lions resting are known to have been produced by the factory but very few examples of this size and in such good condition survive. After 1760 there was a decided decline in quality. The paste is often disfigured by black flecks and is of a dull tone by comparison with the earlier creamy tone. Although much of their production concentrated on 'ware for the common uses' it is in their figures, which always retain a lively naturalism, that the finest quality of Bow's manufacture is revealed.

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BALTIC MAHOGANY DRAW LEAF TABLE OF rectangular shape with fluted tapering legs, having panels of whi te opal ine f ramed with a gilt brass edge. At each end there is an unusual ly long drawer with an elaborate repousse brass handle. Probably Russian, circa 1810

Height: 29in (74cm) Width: 44Viin (113cm) Depth: 19in (48cm) Depth open: 35in (89cm)

This table is mahogany veneer on a carcass of oak, unusual though not unheard of in Russian cabinet-making. Two long drawers have oak linings and are dovetailed at the back and pinned at the front as is the drawer bottom. All the metalwork is brass, the border round the top being solid, whilst the edges to the panels of opaline and the lion's mask are repousse. Despite the variety of marbles and stones available to the Russian cabinet-maker, they often employed glass, both eglomise and opaline. The relatively simple nature of the metal work is again characteristic of local rather than imported work.

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X X GOOD PAIR OF LATE 19TH CENTURY TERRACOTTA models of seated bulldogs. The base stamped BOUAT, Fabrique de Produits Ceramiques, Castelnaudary. French, circa 1880

Height: 27in (69cm)

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A . MOST UNUSUAL MID 1 9 T H CENTURY OCTAGONAL OCCASIONAL table in ivory and ebony, the top being ebony with an ivory centre and a gadrooned border, the legs being turned in the neo-Renaissance style with interlocking elements of ivory and ebony and joined by a similarly worked stretcher, the lower tier being a reduced form of the table top. English, circa 1840

Height: 29'/: in (75cm) Maximum Diameter: 23in (58cm)

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A FINE QUALITY LATE 1 9 T H CENTURY MAHOGANY LOUIS XVI REVIVAL vitrine, based on the w o r k of Jean-Henri Riesener , the top glazed and f ramed in ormolu , the frieze richly m o u n t e d in typical , densely cast small scale floral e lements and friezes of putti , s tanding on square tapering legs m o u n t e d equally richly. S t a m p e d G. D U R A N D . French, circa 1890

Height : 29'/2in (75cm) Width : 40in (102cm) Depth: 22in (56cm)

Gervais-Maximilien-Eugene Durand, was born in Paris on the 30th July 1839. In 1870 he had his workshops in Rue de la Cerisaie at Number 12, in 1878 at 23 Rue Beautreillis and his final workshop was at 62 Rue Sainte-Antoine in the old Hotel de Sully where he stayed until 1900. He exhibited at the 'Exposition Universelle' in 1889 where he won a silver medal. According to a contemporary review 'M Durand ebeniste aussi habile que machote, expose pour le premiere fois des meubles des premier ordre, dont il est a la fois le dessinateur et I'executant; 11 marche sur la voie tracee par les maitres tels que Beurdeley et Dasson'. This comment precisely summarises the oeuvre of G. Durand. He reflects the fashion

of his time when the work of Riesener was so heavily in demand that current cabinet-makers sought to emulate his mastery. Durand worked exclusively in the 18th century revival style. However, his work is not reproduction; he could not resist introducing design elements that date the piece to its own time. Ironically, he would have liked his work to have been indistinguishable from the masters, but the techniques and priorities of the end of the 19th century denied him. The crispness of the cabinet-making, the almost too perfect metalwork and the very piece itself conspire together to make this vitrine an essay on the late 19th century - the finest quality, and unavoidable originality.

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M A I i T . K T T P T X "

Directors Rex Cooper* Chairman Peter Maitland Group Chief Executive Lanto Synge The Hon Peter Dixon Paula Hunt David Wackett* *Non-executive

Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd 141 New Bond Street London W I Y OBS Tel: 0171-499 7411 Fax: 0171-495 3179

Mallett at Bourdon House Ltd 2 Davies Street London WIY ILJ Tel: 0171-629 2444 Fax: 0171-499 2670

Directors Lanto Synge Managing Director Peter Maitland The Hon Peter Dixon Paula Hunt Christopher Wood Giles Hutchinson Smith

Manager of the Glass Department John Smith

Directors Peter Maitland Lanto Synge The Hon Peter Dixon Paula Hunt Christopher Wood Thomas Woodham Smith Henry Neville Jane Charlton Associate Director

Manager of the Mallett Gallery James Harvey

Events in 1996

The Mallett Group exhibit at Exhibitions at 141 New Bond Street

The European Fine Art Fair, Maastricht March Decorative Arts of the 19th Century June

The International Fine Art Fair, The Armory, New York May

Annual Watercolour Exhibition, The Mallett Gallery June

The Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, London June Antique Needlework November

The International Ceramics Fair, The Park Lane Hotel, London June

The International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show, The Armory, New York October

©Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd 1 9 %

Designed by Paul Sharp Printed in England by Balding + Mansell