2002 - Mallett at Bourdon House
description
Transcript of 2002 - Mallett at Bourdon House
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2002
MALLETT at Bourdon House
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2 Davies Street London W1
and at I4 l New Bond Street London W1
Mallett at Bourdon House Ltd 2 Davies Street London W 1 K 3 D J Telephone: +44 (0)20 7629 2444 Fax: +44 (0)20 7499 2670
Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd 141 New Bond Street London W I S 2BS Telephone: +44 (0)20 7499 7411 Fax: +44 (0)20 7495 3179
Thomas Woodham-Smith Director Henry Neville Director
Felicity Jarrett Associate Director
Fiona Barker Annabel D'Arcy Timothy Langston Nicholas Kilner
MALLETT PLC
DIRECTORS
George Magan* Chairman Lanto Synge Chief Executive The H o n Peter Dixon Paula H u n t Giles Hutch inson Smith T h o m a s Woodham-Smi th Henry Neville Rex Cooper* T h e H o n Mrs Simon Weinstock* Simon de Zoete*
*Non executive
Lanto Synge Managing Director The Hon Peter Dixon Director Paula Hun t Director Giles Hutchinson Smith Director James Harvey Director
John Smith Associate Director Richard Cave Associate Director Jeremy Garfield-Davies Associate Director
Tarquin Bilgen Charles Mackinnon Ainslie Marchant
V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E
w w w . m a l l e t t a n t i q u e s . c o m
E m a i l : a n t i q u e s @ m a l l e t t . c o . u k
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
Introduction
Mallett at Bourdon House is pleased to present this year's Autumn catalogue. With the
breadth and variety of the stock illustrated we can only capture the flavour of the shop
and hope that it will act as an enticement to visit us here in London. Perhaps the
greatest frustration for us is that new stock is arriving every day and we cannot illustrate
all the newest things. Our most significant development this year is that for the first
time we can offer yvorks from the twentieth century. O f particular note from this new
section are the rosewood games table and the shagreen and palmwood standard lamp.
The most exciting project for all of us at Mallett this year has been developing our
premises in New York at 929 Madison Avenue. We are planning to open in the spring
of next year. The shop will stock pieces from all departments of the group and will also
carry details and descriptions of everything in London. In this way we will be able to
offer an advisory service as well as selling what is on show in Manhattan. We will be
staffing the shop with our experienced current employees and each one will be happy to
help with anything to do with Bourdon House.
The two Mallett shops together will be exhibiting in New York at the International
Show in October. We are delighted that the show is returning to the 7th Regiment
Armory after a year's absence following the tragedy of September 11th. In addition we
are showing for the first time at the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show, which is also in
October. Please contact us if you would like tickets to either of these events.
Finally we hope that you enjoy the catalogue and we look forward to answering any
questions you may have.
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
This bureau belongs to the most fashionable and luxurious class of
Louis XIV furniture and would have been an important indicator of its
original owner's wealth and rank. Since only the nobility would have
found a use for writing-furniture at this time, the bureau acquired a
higher status than most other forms of furniture and was often
decorated accordingly. The bureau Mazahn takes its name from the
eminent statesman Cardinal Mazarin (1602 -61) although this term,
like so many convenient labels in the decorative arts, was not used
until the nineteenth century. Yet while the bureau Mazarin is most
closely associated with writing-furniture, a number of contemporary
engravings show them in use as dressing tables.
The earliest-known example of a bureau Mazarin was made in
1669 and is documented in the 'Journal du Garde-meuble' (the
register of furniture supplied to the French royal households) of
1676. This piece was made in cedar by Pierre Gole (1620-84), a
Dutch-bom ebeniste who became cabinet-maker to the King and
whose work was characterised by the application of exotic veneers
of ebony, tortoiseshell and ivory. Gole went on to make more than
two dozen such pieces and it is generally accepted that he invented
the form, which usually comprised two sets of three drawers, placed
either side of a central recess, upon eight tapering legs.
The distinctive marquetry employed on this bureau Mazarin was
a tenth-century Italian invention that found its way to France after
Henry IV married his second wife, Marie de Medici in 1600. This
technique was advanced and perfected by Andre-Charles Boulle
(1642-1732), who, on the recommendation of Colbert, became
ebeniste du roi in 1672. He also enjoyed the patronage of illustrious
private clients and his distinctive style of marquetry became so
fashionable that it was taken up by many of his contemporaries.
Boulle marquetry is prepared by gluing sheets of ebony or
tortoiseshell together with sheets of brass or pewter. These are then
cut according to the requirements of the intended design. When cut,
these materials were separated from one another and applied as
veneers in one of two manners. Boulle marquetry was termed
premiere partie when the brass decoration was inlaid into a dark
ground (ebony or tortoiseshell) and contre partie where the ground
was of metal. Pairs of bureaux, wardrobes and commodes, could,
therefore be adorned with boullework from a single panel, the first in
premiere partie and the second in contre partie. On occasion, both
practices were combined within one piece. The designs applied to
boulle marquetry were generally taken from contemporary engravings
in pattern books, published by the great interior designers of the day
and on this bureau, the chosen subject is floral geometry.
A large looking-glass, Paris, 1690s. Fashion-plate by
Jean de St-Jean. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Illustrated in 'Authentic Decor, The Domestic Interior
1620-1920'. Peter Thornton, publ. Weidenfeld &
Nicholson, London, 1993.
B O U R D O N H O U S E
A transitional mantel clock by Osmond A n o u t s t a n d i n g e a r l y n e o - c l a s s i c a l L o u i s X V g i l t b r o n z e m a n t e l c l o c k . T h e c i r c u l a r d i a l is f r a m e d w i t h a r i n g o f l a u r e l
l e a v e s a n d s u r m o u n t e d b y a c l a s s i c a l v a s e w i t h r i n g h a n d l e s . T h i s r e s t s o n f a c i n g h i g h r e l i e f g i l t b r o n z e f o l i a t e s c r o l l s ,
w h i c h i n t u r n s u p p o r t s w a g s , a m o t i f r e p e a t e d b e l o w t h e d i a l . T h e c l o c k s t a n d s o n a fluted b r e a k f r o n t c o l u m n , w i t h a
l a u r e l l e a f b a n d b e n e a t h . T h e w h o l e is s u p p o r t e d o n a r e c t a n g u l a r p l i n t h w i t h c o n c a v e f a c e s e n r i c h e d b y a r e c e s s e d
p a n e l o f g u i l l o c h e a n d t e r m i n a t e s i n flattened b u n f e e t .
S i g n e d O s m o n d .
T h e d i a l s i g n e d L a C r o i x a P a r i s .
F r a n c e , circa 1 7 6 0
H E I G H T : I8 IN ( 4 6 C M )
W I D T H : SVI IN ( 2 2 C M )
D E P T H : 6V2 IN ( I 6 C M )
I l lustrated be low right: The des ign o f th is c lock . B ib l io theque
Douce t , Paris. I l lustrated in 'Vergo lde te Bronzen 1', Hans
O t t o m e y e r a n d Peter Proschel , p. 195, fig. 3 .12 .5 , publ.
Kl inkhardt & Biermann, Munchen , 1996.
The c lock is s igned O S M O N D , wh ich refers to Rober t
O s m o n d w h o w a s a bronze founder o f cons iderab le
s tanding in his day and a special ist in c lock cases , indeed
his s tamp is only found on c lock cases . The s igni f icance of
the O s m o n d s tamp is intr iguing. In s o m e cases , it may
mean that t he founder also made the original model . In
1746, he had b e c o m e a maltre fondeur en terre et sable. In
1756 he w a s e lec ted Jure des Fondeurs. The fame of
O s m o n d spread and by the end o f the n ineteenth century
the Parisian bronze founder, Lou is -Augus te Beurdeley,
o f fe red fo r sale cop ies desc r ibed as modele d'Osmont.
O s m o n d w a s a f r iend o f Caff iert and bo th w e r e a m o n g the
founders w h o s igned the ar t ic les govern ing the copy ing o f
des igns on 2 1 s t Apr i l 1766.
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BOURDON HOUSE
A pair of Louis XVI giltwood chairs A p a i r o f p a r t i c u l a r l y fine L o u i s X V I g i l t w o o d c h a i r s w i t h fine t w i s t e d r o p e c a r v i n g t o t h e u p p e r b a c k a n d d e t a i l e d
f o l i a t e c a r v i n g a t e a c h a r m . T h e f o u r e l e g a n t l y t a p e r e d l egs e n d i n t u r n e d f e e t a n d s u p p o r t a s h a p e d s e a t r a i l c a r v e d w i t h
a g u i l l o c h e m o t i f
S t a m p e d S U L P I C E B R I Z A R D .
F r a n c e , circa 1775
BACK H E I G H T : 35 IN (89 CM)
SEAT H E I G H T : I F A IN (39 CM)
W I D T H : 2 5 IN (63 CM)
D E P T H : 20V2 IN (52 CM)
Sulpice Brizard was born in 1 735 and became a master in
1 762. He was a renowned chair maker, who established himself
in the rue de Clery in 1 765. He is recorded as having produced
a group of seat furniture during the middle of the eighteenth
century in the rococo taste, however, the core of his oeuvre is
in the later Louis XVI neoclassical style. His work is noted for its
particularly fine proportions and detailed carving. The illustrated
pair of chairs shows both these features with all the differently
carved details complementing each other. A design particular to
Brizard, often found on his chairs, is the crisp spiral motif that
runs along the upper section of the backs on these chairs. His
work is exhibited in Musee des Arts Decoratifs as well as in the
Louvre. A very similar pair of chairs was sold in 1986, in Paris
and are illustrated in 'Le Mobilier Frangais du XVIII Slecle' by
Pierre Kjellberg, on page 1 19.
MALLETT AT BOURDON HOUSE
A Sevres biscuit figure A fine Louis XVI Sevres biscuit porcelain figure depict ing a semi nude female figure leaning on a co lumn with her hand
marking a page in a book. T h e subject is known as 'Medi ta t ion after a model by Boizot.
France, circa 1780
H E I G H T : 14V2 IN ( 3 7 C M )
Biscuit was introduced at the Vinoennes-Sevres porcelain
factory in France in 1 751. The word 'biscuit' in French literally
means 'twice cooked' and describes unglazed white porcelain
with a smooth surface. This was ideal for the purpose of
simulating finely polished marble.
Jean-Jacques Bachelier (Paris 1724-1806) appears to have
been the first sculptor to favour biscuit as a medium for
decorative objects as he was appointed Art Director at
Vincennes in 1751 (in 1 752 Louis XV became the major
shareholder). Popular early figures made at Vincennes were
small models of children drawn from designs by Boucher and
larger groups of animals after Oudry. Bachelier would probably
have selected these design sources himself. The biscuit figures
and groups made of a paste invented by Bachelier are arguably
the most famous. The three categories of biscuit sculpture were
pieces made for the centrepiece of a dining table, those
intended as free-standing sculptures in their own right, and bas
relief plaques. In 1757, Etienne-Maurice Falconet (1716-91)
became chief modeller at Sevres and eased the factory towards
a more neo-classical style. His statuettes usually depicted
classical figures and groups taken from Pompeian paintings and
antique statues.
Louis-Simon Boizot (1743-1809) specialized in small scale
decorative pieces in marble. He trained under Michel-Ange
Slodtz (1765-1770). a notable sculptor, in Rome. From 1773-
1800, he assumed the position of Director of Sculpture section
of the Sevres porcelain factory. He modelled numerous figures
and busts for reproduction in biscuit porcelain. He developed
from a sweet classicising Rococo style to a more solid and
severe Neo-Classical manner His hard paste porcelain group of
a woman and two children representing a personification of
Charity, circa 1785 (Getty Museum) is typical of the taste for
moralizing subjects popular during the late eighteenth century.
The statuette illustrated here depicts the theme of meditation
with a beautiful young woman leaning against a stone column,
her index finger marking a page in a closed book. The illustrated
model is recorded in the Sevres archive and though several
examples exist, the original terracotta is no longer extant.
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A pair of Empire end tables A rare pair of Empire parcel gilt mahogany end tables or Vide poches'. The tops have a high flared gallery and are
enriched with quartered veneers with a roundel at the centre. The tables are supported by three bowing swans and
are joined at the base by a concave sided stretcher with an attenuated baluster vase at the centre.
France, circa 1810
H E I G H T : 2 7 I N ( 6 9 C M )
D I A M E T E R O F T O P : I4V2 I N ( 3 7 C M )
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MALLETT AT BOURDON HOUSE
overleaf
A pair of giltwood armchairs A p a i r o f L o u i s X I V g i l n v o o d a r m c h a i r s . T h e a r m s a re e n r i c h e d a t t h e b a c k a n d a t t h e t e r m i n a l w i t h b o l d l y c a r v e d
a c a n t h u s l e a f o r n a m e n t , a s a re the a r m s u p p o r t s . T h e c h a i r s a re s u p p o r t e d o n t u r n e d c o l u m n legs a n d j o i n e d b y a n
' H ' f o r m s t re tcher . E a c h j u n c t i o n is e n r i c h e d w i t h a c a r v e d f o l i a t e p a t e r a a n d t h e c e n t r e o f t h e s t r e t c h e r is c a r v e d w i t h
a s e c t i o n o f f a c i n g b o l d l y m o d e l l e d a c a n t h u s l e a f T h e c h a i r s a re c o v e r e d w i t h R e g e n c e p e r i o d b i z a r r e p a t t e r n
p o l y c h r o m e n e e d l e w o r k .
F r a n c e , circa 1 7 0 0
BACK H E I G H T : 4 4 IN (112 CM)
SEAT H E I G H T : 17 IN (43 CM)
W I D T H : 27 IN (68 CM)
D E P T H : 28 IN (71 CM)
Louis XIV high back chairs characteristically reveal little wood
and are almost entirely upholstered. The broad, deep, slightly
reclining seats, bold carving and overall corporeal structure
were intended for the highest social order combining comfort
with grandeur. The straight lines of Louis Xlll's reign are
combined harmoniously and balanced with curves that became
evident just before the Regence style.
Bizarre pattern needlework was fashionable throughout
Europe from 1695 to 1 720, starting with silks and spreading to
other fabrics. This highly fashion conscious time was exploited
by weavers who found it profitable to change their patterns
frequently.
Bizarre pattern was woven according to a wide range of
exotic designs composed mainly of curiously swaying and
tropical-looking floral and foliate motifs, often off-set by sharply
jagged lines and rectangular motifs (for a comparison see a
George II carved fruitwood armchair upholstered with
eighteenth century French 'bizarre' needlework, Mallett
Catalogue 2001, 'Needlework - A Fine Art ' , p. 62). The chairs
here are covered by an extremely bold, regally coloured, bizarre
pattern needlework. It was once believed erroneously, that the
silks, being influenced by Oriental textiles, had actually been
woven in India. They contrast sharply with the formally
patterned baroque silks of the seventeenth century and
naturalistic patterns of 1 730 onwards and prefigure the taste for
asymmetry, characteristic of the forthcoming rococo period.
Illustrated right: A gilt fauteuil, second half of the
seventeenth century of similar form, bold carving and decorative
motifs to those illustrated here, Musee des Arts Decoratifs ,
Paris (illustrated. 'Le Siege Franijais' p.49. fig, 30 and 31).
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M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
An Empire cast iron gueridon A very unusual Empire cast iron gueridon having a highly unusual top with a profusion of pierced ornament . T h e top
appears to be decorated with a spiral of scrolls, however it also has numerous hidden faces and animals, the suits f rom a
pack of cards and stylised celestial ornament . T h e top is supported on a fluted column with acanthus leaf ornament at
the base. T h e table stands on three scrolling animal legs with acanthus leaf and anthemion motif to the upper edge.
France, circa 1820
H E I G H T : 2 8 I N ( 7 1 C M )
D I A M E T E R : 2 7 I N ( 6 9 C M )
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M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A bird diorama A charming and highly unusual group o f French provincial carved and naturalistically painted wooden models o f
songbirds. Each bird is shown attached to a twig perch that is, in turn, mounted on a carved plinth. T h e whole is now
framed as a diorama on a background painted as a tree.
T h e birds, France circa 1860
F R A M E D : 54 IN X 4 2 IN ( 1 3 7 C M X 1 0 7 C M )
H E I G H T
W I D T H :
A pair of Charles X stools A pair of Charles X rosewood 'X' framed stools inlaid with boxwyod foliate patera at the arm terminals and at the centre of th
legs. The arms and the stretcher are formed as double balusters with multiple collars and bobbin turned elements at the centre
The stools are inlaid on the outer edges with boxwood stringing and terminate in bun feet of the same timber.
France, circa 1825
ARM H E I G H T : 2 5 IN (63 CM)
SEAT H E I G H T : 1 9 IN (48 CM)
W I D T H OVER H A N D L E S : 2 3 IN (58 CM)
D E P T H : I5I/2 IN (39 CM)
J
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A pair of gilt bronze chenets An outs tand ing pair of finely chascd gilt bronze Louis XVI chenets. They take the form of a wind blown flaming
vase on a tr ipod h u n g with swags. The lower end is a fmely wrought pine cone. T h e two stand on a stretcher
with applied laurel leaf inotiFs to the sides and a vitruvian scroll to the top. Each end is suppor ted by fluted
co lumns . T h e larger has an oak leaf scroll a round the ba.se.
I 'rance, circa 1780
H E I C ; H T : I 6 IN (41 C M )
L E N G T H : 1 7 I 4 IN ( 4 4 C M )
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The identical model is illustrated in Vergoldete Bronzen' p.274
pi.4.11,10. Other examples are in the Musee des Arts
Decoratifs. at the Huntingdon Gallery in San Marino and in the
Louis XVI room in the Villa Ephrusi illustrated on p.48 of the 'Villa
Ephrusi de Rothschild.
MALLETT AT BOURDON HOUSE
A pair of Empire bronze and ormolu ewers A pair of Empire bronze and ormolu ewers with finely wrought spouts surmounted by griffin scroll handles. At the
centre of each ewer is a border of hippocampi and masks in low relief At the base there is gilt oak leaf decoration
above machined gilt collars. The whole stands on a turned bronze and ormolu stem foot, supported on a block of
rouge griotte marble.
France, circa 1810
h e i g h t : 1 5 IN (38 CM)
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A pair of giltwood stools A highly unusual pair of Louis XV giltwood stools having a straight back and a serpentine front. The backs are carved with
incised foliate ornament whilst the corners and centre of the seat rail are richly carved in high relief with a sunflower carved
to imitate the petals being blown in the wind. The stools stand on cabriole legs terminating in a scroll foot. •N
France, circa 1755
H E I G H T : 1 9 IN (48 CM)
W I D T H : 2 5 IN ( 6 4 CM)
D E P T H : 1 5 IN (38 CM)
B O U R D O N H O U S E
A Louis XV iron bracket A n e x c e p t i o n a l a n d r a r e fer forge L o u i s X V b r a c k e t h a v i n g a d o u b l e s e r p e n t i n e t o p s u p p o r t e d b y a n e l a b o r a t e i n t e r w e a v i n g
o f f o l i a t e a n d g e o m e t r i c scrol ls .
F r a n c e , circa 1 7 5 0
H E I G H T : 2 0 IN (51 CM)
W I D T H : 1 6 IN (41 CM)
DEPTH: 9 IN (23 CM)
As George Himmelheber states in his seminal work 'Cast Iron
Furniture' publ. Philip Wilson, 1996, "France in the 18th century
saw the apotheosis of the ironworkers skill." It»is in the leafwork
and strapwork of the rococo period that this skill found one of its
most appropriate expressions. However, the need or desire for
furniture of wrought or cast iron was slight, consequently pieces
from this era are exceptionally rare. In almost all known cases, as
in the illustrated example, the strapwork forms the armature
around which the rocaille work is applied.
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An Empire console desserte A particularly fine small scale console desserte by Molitor, the upper and lower shelf inset with finely grained grey white
marble. T he top, enclosed by its original brass gallery, stands above a single long drawer veneered in acajowinouchete, with brass
and ebony stringing and a central elaborate escutcheon. The upper section stands on elegantly tapering brass fluted legs with
finely cast and chascd capitals and bases. The whole stands on turned topie feet, again mounted with turned brass fittings.
Stamped MOLIT'OR
I-rance, circa 1820
MEICIHT: 38 IN ( 9 6 CM)
W I D T F J : 38I/2 IN ( 9 7 . 5 CM)
D E P T H : 1 4 IN (35 C M )
BOURDON HOUSE
A pair of vide-cigares A very rare pair of Charles X brass mounted mahogany
demi-lune vide-cigares. The brass surmounted column
handle can be depressed to open the ash tray compartment.
The whole is supported on turned bun feet.
France, circa 1825
H E I G H T : 2 9 IN ( 7 4 CM)
overleaf
A pair of Empire display cases A pair of Empire mahogany display cases, each having
an elaborately shaped neo-classical pediment above
double glazed doors with brass astragals. The doors are
flanked by ionic column pilasters and are chamfered
towards the glass. Each bookcase is supported on a box
plinth. Throughout, the mahogany is finely figured.
These vide-cigares were made when smoking became particularly
popular amongst the affluent classes. During the early 1800s,
cigars had for the first t ime begun to compete with snuff, chewing
tobacco and pipes. The smoking jacket was born, and wealthy
nineteenth century homes would include a well-venti lated smoking
room, preferably with a westward aspect.
France, circa 1810
H E I G H T : 1 1 4 IN ( 2 9 0 CM)
W I D T H : 6 6 IN ( 1 6 8 CM)
D E P T H : 1 9 IN (48 CM)
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A barometer and thermometer compendium A F r e n c h p r o v i n c i a l m a h o g a n y b a r o m e t e r a n d t h e r m o m e t e r
c o m p e n d i u m . T h e s i lvered d ia l s are e n g r a v e d w i t h finely c h a s e d
gilt b r o n z e m o u n t s a n d i n s c r i b e d w i t h n u m e r o u s t e m p e r a t u r e s
o f t o p o g r a p h i c a l a n d hi s tor ica l interes t .
S i g n e d L a v e r g n e a L y o n .
F r a n c e circa 1 8 1 0
H E I G H T : 4 4 IN ( I I I CM)
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Since first invented by Evangelista Torricelli in 1643. the
mercury barometer has been produced in a number of
differing shapes and sizes, some more practical than
others. However, despite its many subsequent
incarnations, Torricelli's original 'stick' type retained its
popularity and is arguably the most attractive alternative.
While a significant number of examples survive from this
period, they are rarely of such fine quality.
A traditional 'stick' barometer of the closed cistern
type, this example attracts immediate interest due to its
fine cut glass cistern. Mercury-reservoirs on such
barometers are usually encased within the wooden
frame, the exceptions being either turned ivory or simple
glass bulbs. Equally noteworthy is the unusual nature of
the scales on the register-plate. Either side of the main
tube are two thermometers, one measuring Fahrenheit,
the other Centigrade. Beside the varying temperatures
are descriptions and places, Paris 1740 registering at
around -10° on both while Syria sits at 60°C and 145°F.
Furthermore, the pressure readings along the barometer
tube are paired with great mountain ranges and
volcanoes, including the Pyrennees, Mount Vesuvius.
Mount Etna and Mount Taurus, all of which finds few
precedents elsewhere. Though the work of a provincial
maker, this piece is of remarkably high quality.
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A Louis XV lantern An unusual Louis XV lacquered brass pentagonal
lantern. Each panel is surmounted by a foliate arch
in low relief and framed with applied foliate scrolls.
The flat surfaces all have shaping to the outer edge.
The lantern is supported from a finely wrought
canopy with a smoke cowl, unusually, mounted
within its frame.
France, circa 1760
H E I G H T : 3 2 IN (81 CM)
D I A M E T E R : 2 0 IN (51 CM)
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M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
An Empire cartonnier An Empire mahogany cartonnier with finely figured flame mahogany veneers on the top and sides. The cartonnier
contains two columns of seven red morocco leather boxes retaining their original gilt tooling and brass ring handles.
The boxes are retained by two hinged, lockable pilasters.
France, circa 1810
H E I G H T : 56 IN ( 1 4 2 C M )
W I D T H : 3 7 IN ( 9 4 C M )
D E P T H : 15 IN (38 C M )
A cartonnier or serre papier'\s a piece of furniture fitted with
pigeon-holes or compartments. Its purpose was to hold
papers and documents thus functioning as a gentleman's
filing cabinet. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth century
a cartonnier might either stand as an independent piece of
furniture or might have been designed as an accessory to a
particular writing table or bureau plat.
.30
V V / V / ^ / - ! / v r v
^o iMf f iaMaBKt
31
B O U R D O N H O U S E
Voltaire and Rousseau A pair of Louis XVI, bronze busts of the philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau cast in exceptionally fine detail and
retaining their original patina. Each is mounted on a gris St Anne socle with a finely chased gilt bronze capital and foot.
France, circa 1790
HEIGHT: 10V2 IN <26 CM)
Table-bronzes, popular in antiquity, returned to vogue in the
Renaissance and are still admired today. Their size affords them a
certain degree of intimacy, akin to that of a household object. The
subject matter of such bronzes varied considerably but a
significant amount of historical portrait busts were cast. Often as
described by Jennifer Montagu in her book 'Bronzes', publ.1963, 'a
treasured adornment of the scholar's desk', such famed subjects
convey an element of inspiration, or at least prestigious
association. The celebrated differences between Voltaire and
Rousseau make for an appropriate pairing.
Voltaire and Rousseau lie entombed opposite each other in
the Pantheon in Paris, two of France's greatest philosophers, yet
men whose views could not have been further removed from each
other While Voltaire believed that man distinguished himself
through education and reason, Rousseau saw this as the
explanation of why men became in his view 'unnatural' and
corrupted. Such conflicting ideologies led to the famed intellectual
conflict between the two men, as celebrated by William Blake in his
poem Mock On, Mock On. Voltaire. Rousseau.
32
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A pair of Sevres vases A fine q u a l i t y p a i r o f C h a r l e s X Sevres p o r c e l a i n c a m p a g n a f o r m vases d e c o r a t e d o n a d a r k b l u e g r o u n d w i t h silver,
p l a t i n u m a n d g i l t n e o - c l a s s i c a l o r n a m e n t . T h e w h o l e s t a n d i n g o n a n i n t e g r a l f a u x p o r p h y r y p l i n t h . T h e bases b e a r i n g
t h e Sevres f a c t o r y m a r k s f o r 1 8 2 9 .
F r a n c e , 1 8 2 9
HEIGHT: 10V2 IN ( 2 7 CM)
Sevres, the national porcelain manufacturer of France, was first
established at Vincennes in 1 738, before rnoving to Sevres in
1756. In 1 759 the factory was taken over by the King, Louis XV,
who became its leading client and salesman, holding an annual
sale of Sevres products in his private dining room at Versailles
from 1758. The gilding is particularly interesting on these vases
as it uses platinum as well as gold and silver, an extravagant
technique associated with the Sevres factory.
3 3
A Charles X rosewood gueridon A Charles X rosewood gueridon profusely inlaid on the top in a continuous motif of interlocking and alternate roses and wild
flowers. At the centre of the top is an outstanding vellum still life of flowers, signed and dated, Azelia Maspero, eleve de
Madame Delaporte, 1836. The top is supported by a frieze, inlaid with geometric neo-classical ornament. This, in turn, stands
on three scroll legs having bowing swans head capitals and acanthus marquetry to the scrolling base. The whole is supported by
a shaped concave sided tripod plinth terminating in block feet.
France, 1836
H E I G H T : 3 0 IN ( 7 6 CM)
D I A M E T E R OF T O P : 3 6 IN (01 CM)
."iijt
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
Delicately inlaid rosewood furniture such as this became popular in France mainly as a result of the success of the designs of Jean-Josse Caron I'Atne (1773-1838). The pieces he produced in the brief period between 1831 and 1838, as well as his publication, in 1836, of sixty designs under the title 'Le Manuel de I'ebeniste', would have considerable influence on contemporary tastes. In the few short years that he actually produced furniture, Caron supplied pieces to many noble clients, his distinctive elaborate inlays finding great demand.
Madame Delaporte probably refers to Rosine Antoinette Delaporte who was a pupil of Redoute. Similarities between his famous series of rose prints and the style of this floral vellum picture are clearly apparent. Unfortunately, a fire in her shop in 1838, destroyed all her paintings and gold medals which she had won in numerous exhibitions. Only one work of hers remains in a public collection, a branch of roses at the Musee de Pontoise.
35
M-
j i f ^
36
M A L L E T T A T B O l / R D O N H O U S E
A pair of Dutch side chairs A n e x c e p t i o n a l p a i r o f e a r l y 1 8 t h c e n t u r y D u t c h w a l n u t h i g h - b a c k e d s i d e c h a i r s . T h e b a c k s a r e s u r m o u n t e d b y f a c i n g
s c ro l l s w i t h a f o l i a t e c r e s t i n g . T h e c h a i r s h a v e a p i e r c e d s p l a t c a r v e d w i t h a c a n t h u s o r n a m e n t . E a c h s t a n d s o n s c ro l l
f r o n t a n d b a c k l e g s , t h e f r o n t l e g s b e i n g c a r v e d a t t h e k n e e w i t h a h o n e y s u c k l e s w a g . T h e l egs a r e j o i n e d b y a n
e l a b o r a t e i n t e r l o c k i n g s c ro l l s t r e t c h e r s i m i l a r l y e n r i c h e d w i t h f o l i a t e c a r v i n g in l o w r e l i e f
L o w C o u n t r i e s , circa 1 7 1 0
B A C K H E I G H T : 4 9 IN ( I 2 4 C M )
SEAT H E I G H T : 18 IN ( 4 6 C M )
W I D T H : 10 IN (51 C M )
D E P T H : 18 IN ( 4 6 C M )
This pair of side chairs was made in the Low
Countries in the early decades of the eighteenth
century. The elongated back with its profusely
carved splat is a particularly Dutch feature and the
carved ornament upon it shows the influence of late
seventeenth century designers such as Daniel
Marot (1663-1752). His Livres d'Appartements.
published in Amsterdam around 1700, detailed
designs for dining chairs with wooden splats using
interlaced strapwork, masks, armorials, shells and
foliate scrolls and was a popular source for cabinet-
makers working in the first quarter of the eighteenth
century. Marot 's principal contribution to the
development of interior design was his predilection
for unity within a room. The shaped splat on this
type of chair provided an ideal surface for carving,
enabling it to blend with the carved or moulded
stucco ornament on the walls of a fashionable
room. Indeed, it is likely that the decoration on
these high-backs was closely related to the themes
of the interior for which they were commissioned.
The splat-back first appeared in Holland and
England around 1 700, although it was not until the
1 720s that this form would become synonymous
with those countries. It is difficult to determine
which country adopted it first although its origins
are certain - both nations traded with China and
had stronger links with the East than any other
European nation. The splat had been an important
component of Chinese seat furniture since the
Middle Ages and the European fascination with all
things Chinese would account for its instant
popularity back at home
37
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A couchant greyhound An Empire console A mid 19th century bronze model of a couchant greyhound
after Ravrio (1759-1814). Now mounted on a white and
porter marble stand.
F r a n c e , circa 1 8 5 0
H E I G H T : 12V2 IN ( 3 2 C M )
W I D T H : 16V2 I N ( 4 2 C M )
D E P T H : 6V2 I N ( 1 7 C M )
A particularly fine and elaborately carved mahogany
console, the upper shelf supported by two winged terms
with finely detailed female heads and ebonised
Pompeian neo-classical motifs beneath, each leg ending
in a lion's paw foot. The finely grained mahogany has
many contrasting ebonised details reflected in the
antique mirror plate behind.
Attributed to Charles-Joseph Lemarchand (1758-1826)
F r a n c e , circa 1815
H E I G H T : 3 7 IN ( 9 4 C M )
W I D T H : 3 0 I N ( 7 6 C M )
D E P T H : 1 6 I N ( 4 1 C M )
A n a lmost identical piece employed as a cabinet s tand is
i l lustrated in l e mobilier Frangais du XlXeme siecle'. p. 412.
38
Ma
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A tole lantern A very unusual Louis Philippe tole hexagonal lantern, each face with a stylised shell cresting supported by ' C and 'S' scrolls.
Between the doors are polychrome stylised flowers held in place by ribbon bows. The lantern is held by a serpentine canopy
decorated with naturalistically painted leaves hung with swags of roses and other flowers.
France, circa 1845
HEIGHT: 2 6 IN (66 CM)
WIDTH: 1 6 IN (41 CM)
Tole is made from tin plated sheet iron covered with a black
asphaltum varnish, heat dried and decorated in gold and colours
to simulate oriental lacquer The process was first developed in
England in the late seventeenth century. It spread across Europe
in the early eighteenth century, to North America towards the
second half of that century and continued to be refined throughout
the nineteenth century. Tole was usually decorated either with
chinoiserie or with sprays of coloured flowers.
40
% ( k ^
•v^r
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A giltwood bergere A fine quality Louis X V I giltwood cove back bergere having scroll arms and fluted rails and a bow front. T h e bergere
stands on turned, tapering, reeded and fluted legs surmounted at the fi-ont with square foliate paterae.
Stamped P. P L U V I N E T (Philippe Joseph Pluvinet, maitre 1754, died 1793)
France, circa 1780
B A C K H E I G H T : 38 IN ( 9 6 . 5 C M )
SEAT H E I G H T : 19 IN (48 C M )
W I D T H : 2 6 IN ( 6 6 C M )
D E P T H : 25 IN ( 6 3 . 5 C M )
42
B O U R D O N H O U S E
A pair of torcheres An unusual pair o f Louis Philippe parcel gilt torcheres having circular tops with a recessed band of gilt on the outer edge.
T h e tops are supported by three attenuated double baluster columns with gilt collars. T h e whole stands on a concave sided
tripod plinth, terminating in boldly modelled lacquered brass claw feet.
France, area 1840
H E I G H T : 4 2 ' / 2 I N ( I 0 8 C M )
D I A M E T E R O F T O P : I2V4 I N (3 I C M )
43
MALLETT AT BOURDON HOUSE
Four Castelli plaques A set of four large-scale mid 18th century Castelli
factory polychrome plaques depicting neo-classical
landscapes.
Attributed to the Grue family.
Italy, circa 1750
HEIGHT: II IN (28 CM)
WIDTH: 8V4 IN (2I CM)
These plaques are a good example of the narrative wares,
based on contemporary engravings, that were being
produced in Castelli throughout the late seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. Castelli is located in southern Italy,
near Naples and it was here that potters would pioneer a
new approach to the production of maiolica.
By the 1650s, the heavy earthenware vases and
dishes of the previous century, characterised by their
bright, bold palettes, went out of fashion and gave way to
the new form of maiolica that was produced in Castelli.
This was more delicate than examples from the previous
century and used a subtle palette. Most of the wares
produced in Castelli were functional, although purely
decorative objects such as these plaques were also
manufactured. They are more refined than earlier pieces
particularly in their use of perspective. The subject matter
was inherited from istoriato wares, and included biblical
stories, classical heroes and hunting scenes. In these
examples the pastoral has been embraced within
continuous arcadian landscapes, with classical and gothic
ruins, in a manner typical of Francesco Grue and his family
who favoured a palette of olive green, yellow and brown.
Their work is closely associated with the last great chapter
in the history of Italian maiolica.
46
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
overleaf
A pair of Neapolitan commodes A pair of mid 18th century Neapolitan parquetry
commodes, each having a writing slide above three
drawers of graduating size. The drawers and the sides
of each commode are decorated with quartered
rosewood veneers and crossbandings in tulipwood and
boxwood with a marquetry eight-sided roundel at the
centre. The top edge of the front of each commode is
inlaid with a quartered herringbone rosewood border.
The commodes have a scrolled bottom edge at the
front and sides and terminate in pad feet with a
tulipwood moulding at the centre. The commodes
retain their original giallo antico marble tops.
Italy, circa 1765
H E I G H T : 3 7 IN ( 9 4 CM)
W I D T H : 4 5 I N ( 1 1 4 CM)
D E P T H : 2 4 I N ( 6 1 C M )
47
Eighteenth century Italy was made up of a series of warring city
feudal states and kingdoms, each governed independently, rather
than by a central national government or court. The resulting cultural
variations between the states manifested themselves through
artistic styles, particularly during the rococo period, when regionally
furniture was markedly different. Parquetry work found favour in the
kingdom of Naples where it flourished, examples from this period
are particularly fine. Characteristically, the heavy parquetry is
centred by a flower head or similar motif and contained within a
rope-twist or chequered border, as can be seen on this pair of
commodes. It is traditional for commodes of this type to have a
marble rather than a wooden top.
Marble was afforded great prestige in ancient Rome but certain
types were more prestigious than others, their use reserved only for
the most significant commission.
One such prized type was Marmor Numidicum, or Giallo
Antico, which occupied an exalted position within Roman society.
Found in ancient Numidia in North Africa, this striking yellow stone
was quarried and shipped in bulk by the Romans from the 2nd
century BC. This type of marble was so valued that it was
included in some of the most significant monuments of antiquity.
Fluted columns of Giallo Antico held up the celebrated 2nd
century AD temple of Venus at Sicca Veneria; a further eight
adorned the front of the arch of Constantine, erected by the
senate to commemorate his victory over Maxentius in 312 AD.
Furthermore, it is recorded that immediately after the
assassination of Julius Caesar, the people erected a massive
column of neatly twenty feet of Numidian stone on the forum,
upon which was inscribed PARENTI PATRIAE. Such prestigious
associations remained with Giallo Antico throughout its history.
The nature of the can/ing and the finish of these
exceptional marble tops suggest they are original to the
commodes. Thus the status associated with the use of Giallo
Antico, when combined with the very fine quality of the
parquetry, suggests these pieces were a particularly significant
commission.
MALLETT AT BOURDON HOL'SE
A pier mirror A very unusual Swedish late 18th century giltwood pier
mirror. It is decorated with carved high relief neo-classical
motifs set against a simulated porphyry eglomise background.
T h e pediment is enriched with a boldly carved laurel swag
tied at the apex with a ribbon. At the base of the mirror are
crossed fronds of laurel and oak leaf and around the plate is a
finely carved foliate scroll with a beaded inner edge and square
corner paterae.
A porcelain monkey A large-scale late 19th century Meissen style white
porcelain model of a monkey eating fruit, modelled
in naturalistic detail seated upon a tree s tump which
is enriched with flowers and branches.
Probably Italy, circa 1890
H E I G H T : 2 5 I N ( 6 3 C M )
Sweden, circa 1780
H E I G H T : 4 9 I N ( I 2 5 C M )
W I D T H : 3 2 IN ( 8 1 . 5 C M ) ^
White porcelain models of animals such as this first appeared in Europe in the 1 730s, when the German Meissen factory produced a number of them at the behest of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland. Inspired by the produce of the Chinese Te-hua porcelain factories (known in the West as Blanc de Chine), the models were commissioned to decorate his Japanese palace at Dresden. In theme they were derived from the lead animals of the Labyrinth at Versailles, which depicted Aesop's fables. Among these, the monkey featured prominently.
51
B O U R D O N H O U S E
An Italian demi-lune console A Piedmontese demi-lune gilrwood side table. The frieze is enriched with recessed panels of carved foliate scrolls in
high relief, interspaced with boldly carved lion's heads surmounting the legs and a high relief sunflower at the centre.
The table is supported on unusual turned, tapering legs with fluting and foliate carving to the upper section and
acanthus leaves with further fluting towards the base. Each leg terminates in a finely carved laurel leaf motif The table
retains its original striated grey marble top.
In the manner of G.M.Bonzanigo
Italy, circa 1775
H E I G H T : 34I/2 IN ( 8 6 . 5 C M )
W I D T H : 52 IN (132 C M )
D E P T H : 23 IN (58.5 C M )
Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo was born in Asti in 1740 and died
in Turin in 1820.
Like nnany of the more interesting mal<ers of Italian
furniture, Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo was primarily a sculptor. In
1773, he settled in Turin where he began working for the court.
In 1 787, Vittorio Amadeo III, acknowledging his 'singular
master', appointed him official woodcarver to the Crown with an
official salary of 200 lire for designing and making two large
screens and an elaborate fire screen. During the next twenty
years, he executed a considerable number of commodes.
screens, cupboards, doors and door surrounds for the Royal
Palaces, namely the Palazzo Reale and Palzzina Stupinigi.
During his long and distinguished career he established a
position for himself as the finest exponent of neo-classicism in
Piedmont, in the field of carving and decoration.
He continued working for the House of Savoy until the
French invasion of Piedmont in 1796. Although he lost his Royal
commissions with the King after the Restoration, his style
remained unchanged during these vicissitudes, although he
made adjustments to his iconography where necessary.
52
A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A curious occasional table A highly unusual Continental occasional table and cabinet. It has a white marble top bordered by a pierced brass
gallery and supported by a frieze of finely carved acanthus leaves. The central section is decorated with high relief
reeding of well-figured mahogany and opens to reveal a bois clair interior with a single shelf The cabinet is
supported on a reeded column that has an elaborately carved scrolling acanthus leaf capital, which supports
further acanthus leaf carving to the base of the cabinet. The whole stands on reeded, turned scroll legs terminating
in brass casters.
Probably Italy, circa 1800
H E I G H T : 3 7 IN ( 9 4 CM)
D I A M E T E R : 1 7 IN (43 CM)
54
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A view of Paestum A fine large-scale early 19th century perspective view of the temples at Paestum showing two shepherds in the foreground.
French school, circa 1800
U N F R A M E D : 2 7 I N X 4 1 IN ( 6 9 C M X 1 0 4 C M )
H E I G H T : 2 7 I N ( 6 9 C M )
W I D T H : 4 1 IN ( I 0 4 C M )
Paestum was for centuries a city shrouded in mystery. Originally
known as Poseidonia, it was one of the Greek colonies established
by the Achaens from the north-west Peloponnese. Founded from
the infamous city of Sybaris, the earliest settlers are believed to
have arrived around the mid-seventh century B C . Named after the
most important of their gods, the city flourished and became one of
the most significant cities in the gulf of Salerno. Around 400 B C it
fell to a tribe of local barbarians called the Lucanians, who were
defeated by the Romans in 273 B C , whereupon the city was re-
named Paestum.
Three great Doric temples dominate the site. The temple of
Poseidon (still so called despite being known to have been
dedicated to Hera) is thought to date from around 460 B C . It is the
only existing Greek temple with internal colonnades surmounted by
smaller Doric columns. Equally interesting is the southernmost of
the temples, the Basilica which, also dedicated to Hera (the main
divinity of Paestum) dates from around 530 B C . The temple is
particularly unusual in that it has nine columns across the ends and
a row of columns down the middle of the interior. The third of the
principal temples is dedicated to Ceres. Dating from around 510
B C , it has been referred to as one of the most prized examples of
Greek architecture in Italy.
The city was occupied until the latter part of the 9th century
AD, whereupon it was abandoned, suffering the combination of a
malaria epidemic and the ever-present threat of the invading
Saracens, who had recently occupied nearby Agropolis. Throughout
the following centuries, the city remained undisturbed until around
1 750 when the ruins were discovered by archaeologists, an event
which attracted international interest. S cenes depicting Paestum
were thus in great demand, ser^/icing the continuing fascination with
mysterious lost civilisations.
56
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A grisaille landscape A fine quality early 19th century grisaille drawing of a traveller passing through a rocky landscape.
Signed and dated, C. Reinhart a Roma, 1807
F R A M E D : 31 IN X 39 IN ( 7 9 C M X 9 9 C M )
Johann Chr ist ian Reinhart was born in Hof, Bavaria in 1761
and died in Rome in 1847. He studied theology initially in
Leipzig, then devoted himself to painting as a student of Adam
Friedrich Oeser (1717-99). often making copies of classical
works, including plaster casts of antique statues. He was greatly
influenced by Claude Lorrain's liber Veritatis' and on his visit to
Dresden, in 1 783, by the Dutch landscape paintings in the
Gemaldegalerie.
In 1785, he returned to Leipzig where he met the German
poet, Friedrich Schiller, who became a close friend and
undoubtedly affected his developing artistic style. He was
painter to the Duke of Sachsen-Meiningen between 1 786 and
1789 for whom he executed above all, landscapes and portraits.
This appointment enabled him to discover at leisure, the
surrounding Thuringian countryside inspiring spontaneous
sketches as he walked. These sketches show that he had
released himself a little f rom academic constraints achieving a
free, painterly style whilst faithfully recording nature, yet his
training meant that he comprehended form and composit ion.
In 1789. he established himself in Rome and was one of
the major protagonists of the German art movement. There, he
was renowned there for eight large landscapes in distemper
painted in 1825 at the Villa Massini and he executed four
paintings of the same type for King Louis of Baviere.
57
y
i
V
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A German pier mirror An owl tobacco jar A n unusual early 18th century G e r m a n pier mirror.
T h e cresting is mode l led in the highly individual
m a n n e r o f a pair o f boldly carved r ibbon held curtain
swags, f l anking a stylised c a n o p y s u r m o u n t e d by a five-
po int feathered scroll with a d o m e d car touche at the
centre. T h e sides a n d base o f the mirror are enriched
with alternate low relief a n t h e m i o n and foliate e lements
against a crosshatched g r o u n d .
N o r t h e r n G e r m a n y , circa 1 7 1 0
A n unusua l a n d large scale carved l i m e w o o d Southern
G e r m a n tobacco jar, taking the f o r m o f an owl shown
perched on a rock. T h e owl is carved with fine feather
work , which retains m u c h o f its original burnt work
pat inat ion .
Bavaria, circa 1 8 6 0
HEIGHT: 20 IN (51 CM)
WIDTH: 10 IN (26 CM)
HEIGHT: 63 IN (160 CM)
WIDTH: 34 IN (86 CM)
This magnificent mirror is a remarkable example of the high
standards of carving and design that were produced in
Germany during the first quarter of the eighteenth csntury.
The culmination of the Thirty Years War (1618 - 48) had
brought about a new social order that strengthened the wealth
and fortunes of the German aristocracy, encouraging a more
sophisticated approach to the planning of their homes. After
the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, highly skilled
Huguenot Parisian designers and craftsmen were forced into
exile, an act that led to the immediate dissemination of French
taste and style throughout Northern Europe.
In the decorative arts, there has always been a strong
national diversity and within each European State existed a
wealth of regional variety. In Southern Germany, there is an
undeniable link with Italy. Designers in Northern Germany
were influenced by those of neighbouring countries, France
and Holland. Northern designers took a particular interest in
the application of textile designs in their carving, looking to the
work of exiled Parisian designers such as. Daniel Marot (1663-1 752) for inspiration. The combination of plumes with
lambrequins in the canopy of this mirror closely resembles the
form of an early eighteenth century bed valance, examples of
which can be seen in fvlarot's designs for chairs, stools and
pelmets Ccirca 1690 - 1702).
O J
' #
59
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
An unusual occasional table A highly unusual German mid 18th century occasional table. The scalloped edged top is decorated with Chinese figures
in various poses in an aquatic landscape with central pagoda. The top opens with an oversized, decorated gilt hinge and
is finely painted with rocky gilt landscape, depicting fishing huts on stilts. The shaped main body of the piece and
lower apron are all profiisely enriched with gilt chinoiseries and the legs have elaborate geometric interlacing patterns
framing small chinoiserie vignettes, all in low relief
Germany, circa 1760
H E I G H T : 2 8 IN ( 7 1 C M )
D I A M E T E R : I8 '/2 I N ( 4 7 C M )
German lacquer work was much influenced by
English lacquer designs, particularly from the widely
available publication by Stalker & Parker 'A Treatise
on Japanning' publ. 1688. Elements of the work on
this table, particularly the use of low relief and the
white outlining, suggest that it was made in Berlin,
probably in the second quarter of the eighteenth
century. Stylistic similarities may be drawn with
designs from the workshop of Gerard Dagly.
This city was the centre for many German
lacquer masters throughout the eighteenth century.
The use of white heightening can be seen not only
on lacquer furniture but also on Berlin decorated
earthenware and porcelain vases at this period. The
particularly authentic architectural details, such as
the fishing huts on the inside lid and also the
complex patterning down each leg, reflect the
academic interest in the Orient that Dagly pursued
under the patronage of Elector Frederick III.
Cf. 'Lacquerof the West ' , Hans Huth, publ.1971.
plates 169, 186.
61
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A Russian mahogany bookcase A mid 19th century Russian mahogany two door glazed bookcase. It has a stepped pediment with a brass
moulded edge and brass fluted decoration to the central frieze, above which is a recessed triangular panel
bordered with a shaped brass moulding. The doors have well figured mahogany fran.es with central glazed
panels and elaborate, boldly modelled brass astragals. The interior has four shelves with a brass moulding on
each leading edge and are enclosed by doors having canted corners mounted with brass flutes, surmounted
and supported by brass square paterae. The sides are also inset with panels, bordered by brass lines. The whole
stands on a plinth, inlaid at the centre front with a brass diamond, which is supported on square tapering legs
terminating in brass sabots.
Russia, circa 1840
H E I G H T : 8 2 I N ( 2 0 8 C M )
W I D T H : 5 6 I N ( I 4 2 . 5 C M )
D E P T H : 1 6 I N ( 4 1 C M )
62
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63
BOURDON tlOUSE
A Baltic chandelier A six branch Baltic chandelier. The ring supports six gilt metal candle arms, whose drip pans have been stamped and chased
in a leaf pattern and hung with square drops with prisms below. Above the ring is a waterfall of square drops surmounted by
a coronet made of graduated circular drops and horizontal rule drops, above these are eight palm fronds, also made of
horizontal rule drops. The coronet is hung with columns of drops with prisms below. Beneath the ring are four concentric
circles with prism drops with one square drop above. The finial is a large and hollow pear shaped drop, decorated with flute
cutting. The whole chandelier is constructed with good quality slightly grey soda glass, which is characteristic of all
chandeliers of this period and geographical location.
Possibly Sweden, circa 1810
H E I G H T : 4 FT ( 1 2 2 CM)
D I A M E T E R : 3 0 IN ( 7 6 CM)
Sweden at this period had a thriving glass industry with eleven glass
houses in production, most of which were capable of producing
chandeliers. Russia, particularly around St. Petersburg, had several
good glass houses. There were also glass houses in or near the
Hanseatic ports. As the skilled glass workers were itinerant, styles
were rapidly transferred from one country to another making exact
attributions nearly impossible. ^
64
. - I
N i •It-i?! ci'ti' ft'"
B O U R D O N H O U S E
A pair of coved back armchairs A pair of Regency mahogany coved back armchairs. T h e back rail has scroll terminals and supports under the main rail,
each element carved in fine detailing with stylised neo-classical motifs. T h e chairs stand on turned reeded legs at the front
and sabre legs at the back. Each terminates in a brass caster. N o w upholstered in green suede.
Each stamped G I L L O W S .
England, circa 1820
C f An extending dining table s tamped Gillows, illustrated page 74 .
B A C K H E I G H T : 31 IN ( 7 9 CM)
SEAT H E I G H T : 18 IN ( 4 6 CM)
W I D T H : 23 IN (58.5 C M )
D E P T H : 22 IN (56 CM)
66
A group of ivory tempietti An unusual fine ivory rose engine
lathe turned tempietto having multiple
tiers ot finely wrought ornament. T h e
whole supported on pierced fluted
columns in turn standing on a stepped
circular plinth. T h e bot tom tier is
carved to simulate block work.
England, circa 1810
H E I G H T : 1 7 IN (43 CM)
A very unusual early 19th century
ivory rose engine lathe turned double
box. The upper lid ornamentally
turned and stained in a profuse
fashion. The upper box is supported
on three fluted columns to the cover*''
of the lower box and is enriched with
four finials, each turned in a different
manner. The whole is profusely
decorated and supported on bun feet.
England, circa 1810
H E I G H T : 13 IN (33 C M )
i
An early 19th century ivory example
of rose engine lathe turning, fashioned
as a column of turnings both pierced
and ornamental with a small scale
balcony at the summit and a tempietto
at the base, supported by spiral turned
columns.
England, circa 1810
H E I G H T : 9 I N (23 CM)
liie^i Il lo - , \
g U U U i O ^
k
m r ^ i ^ s Y o D i i J ' ' ' ^ ' : '
68
A finely turned early 19th century
ivory tempietto having a dome
fashioned from eight flying supports
with a cupola above, supported on
eight fluted columns, in turn standing
on a circular stepped plinth. The
whole surrounded by a finely wrought
ivory fence on an ebony stepped stand.
An early 19th century ivory rose
engine lathe turned tempietto, having
a reeded cupola supported on four
tapering fluted columns terminating in
a circular plinth, decorated throughout
with multiple ornamental turning.
England, circa 1810
An early 19th century outstanding
ivory example of rose engine lathe
turning exhibiting a multiplicity of
ornamental pierced elements and
decorative turnings, loosely designed
as a Moorish tower.
England, circa 1810
England, circa 1810 H E I G H T : 8 IN ( z o C M ) H E I G H T : I5'/2 IN (39 C M )
H E I G H T : II IN (28 C M )
m i l l i n n
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69
A mahogany hall bench A good quality Regency mahogany hall bench. The ends have a turned arm rest with fluting and turned collars at each end. The
arm rests are supported on stylised foliate supports. The seat has a central panel of flame mahogany with a reeded outer edge.
Below the seat on all sides are demi-lune turned elements with ball finials. The seat stands on turned tapering reeded legs.
In the manner o f George Bullock ^
England, circa 1810
A R M REST H E I G H T : JVA I N ( 1 8 . 5 C M )
SEAT H E I G H T : 20 I N (5I C M )
L E N G T H : 4 2 I N ( I 0 7 C M )
D E P T H : 1 8 I N ( 4 6 C M ) " "
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George Bullock (1782/83-1818), though forgotten for
many years, was one of the most significant cabinet-
makers of the late Regency period. After a successful
career as a sculptor and furniture designer in Liverpool,
he moved to London in1814 and established his
furniture workshop in London at 4 Tenterden Street,
Hanover Square. His highly original designs, drawing on
contemporary Greek Revival and Empire styles, many of
which were published in Ackerman's 'Repository of
Arts', attracted such distinguished patrons as Sir Walter
Scott and Matthew R. Boulton. Unsurprisingly these
sources of inspiration were acclaimed and propagated
by numerous contemporary furniture makers. His most
famous commission came in 1815 when the British
govennment ordered a suite of furnishings for the exiled
Emperor Napoleon on St. Helena. Bullock stood apart
from amongst contemporary cabinetmakers through his
use of native woods in the construction of his furniture,
while simultaneously acknowledging the fashion for
more exotic woods such as rosewood and ebony.
Further his designs for details smaller details such as
the inlay often included native flora, as well as the
standard classical motifs.
Cf. An occasional table attributed to George Bullock,
page 72.
70
A black japanned fall front blanket chest A very rare late 18th century black japanned fall front blanket chest. T h e top, the front and the sides are decorated with
elaborate gilt chinoiserie landscapes bordered with foliate scrolls. T h e whole is supported on its original pierced black
chinoiserie stand. T h e fall front opens to reveal a red painted interior with two shelves.
England, circa 1770
HEIGHT: 41 IN (104 CM)
W I D T H : 53 IN (I35 CM)
DEPTH: 25 IN (63 CM)
This is a rare example of a blanket chest with a fall front, rather
than hinged top. This enables the chest to be used as a
decorative surface for the display of objects, whilst at the same
time having an accessible storage compartment.
71
A Regency occasional table An unusual late Regency mahogany circular occasional table. The top has a reeded edge above a finely wrought, ornamental
frieze in brass and ebony. The central stem is richly carved with boldly incised lotus and laurel leaf motifs, supported on a ring
of ebony. The whole stands on a square plinth with elaborately turned finials and feet.
In the manner of George Bullock
England, circa 1820
H E I G H T : 2 9 IN ( 7 4 CM)
D I A M E T E R OF TOP: 2 4 IN (6L CM)
Cf. A mahogany hall bench, in the
manner of George Bullock, illustrated page 70.
B O U R D O N H O U S E
An extending dining table by Gillows A fine quality Regency mahogany extending dining table having ' D ' ends which are constructed so they may stand alone as
side tables. There are five extra leaves including one narrow leaf, which allows the table to be used as a breakfast table. For full
extension, the end-frame pulls out and bolts together at the centre. T h e table stands on finely carved, boldly reeded baluster
legs terminating in large-scale brass castors. Throughout , the mahogany is o f the finest quality. O n e leaf a later replacement.
S tamped G I L L O W S .
England, circa 1820
H E I G H T : 29^/2 IN (75 C M )
L E N G T H FULLY E X T E N D E D : I 5 6 IN ( 3 9 7 C M )
L E N G T H C L O S E D : 52 IN (I32 C M )
W I D T H : 6 8 IN (173 CM) JI
73
This versatile dining table has a number of varied forms. As a fully
extended dining table it could seat fourteen people and yet when
folded away it can be put against the wall as a pair of side tables.
If a breakfast table is required, a special small leaf has been made so
that it can form a perfect square. The legs are inset a foot along the
sides so guests will not have to suffer the discomfort of being
seated next to a leg. The under-frame is constructed extravagantly,
being entirely of mahogany which renders the table rigid and very
strong. This means that the top is absolutely flat and that the table
can easily be moved on its casters. All in all, every aspect of design
and construction has been planned, which makes this table the acme
of its type.
The firm of Gillows has come out from the shadows in the last
two decades. Thanks to numerous articles and Lindsay Boynton's
book of Gillows' designs, we now appreciate the vast scale of their
production and their long and distinguished history.
The family firm was established in Lancaster as early as the
1730s. Throughout the eigTlleenth century, a succession of Robert
and Richard Gillows worked for and controlled the firm. Their
success really began in 1769, when they opened their first London
If
office. Noble commissions came and in 1800, Richard Gillows took
out a patent for an extending dining table which further enhanced
the firm's reputation. The history of Gillows is exceptionally
complete, as nearly all the order books and salesman's archives ^till
exist. We know that the practice of stamping GILLOWS.
LANCASTER started in around 1780 and continued until 1817.
Today, it is difficult to comprehend the range of Gillows' business at
this time. They traded not only in finished furniture, but also in
timber from the West Indies along with sugar and spirits from the
same region. They undertook architectural joinery and fitted out
entire buildings, providing wall papers, fixtures and fittings. Their
salesmen toured the country with books of illustrations lavishly
coloured to tempt buyers. Gilllows even pioneered 'flat-packing' in
order to offer their clients a reduced price. There was no corner of
the furniture trade they did not thoroughly exploit. Between 1 780
and 1830, they were the furniture trade, leading in price, fashion and
even work practices.
1.1' •
B O U R D O N H O U S E
A large scale planter A very large scale stoneware planter decorated to
simulate a tree trunk. There are four carrying handles
disguised as branches and an elaborate serpentine rim
fashioned to simulate interwoven branches. T h e planter
is supported on a small stoneware plinth again fashioned
to simulate a tree trunk.
England, circa 1870
A japanned table An exceptional mid 19th century t ip-top black
j apanned circular occasional table. T h e top is decorated
with a border o f floral gilt vignettes f ramed with lattice
panels, the centre depicts figures within a bucol ic
landscape. T h e table stands on a tapering co lumn and a
shaped circular plinth decorated with a similar border
to the top and with birds and flowers in three colours
o f gold. T h e whole is suppor ted on three scroll feet.
H E I G H T : 3 7 IN <94 C M )
D I A M E T E R : 4 2 IN ( 1 0 7 C M )
England, circa 1870
Attributed to Jennens & Bettridge
H E I G H T : 2 9 IN ( 7 4 CM)
D I A M E T E R : 20'/2 IN (52 C M )
76
Underside of top
77
A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A crewelwork pane A large panel o f 17th century crewelwork embroidery, perhaps part o f hangings for a great bed, o f large
curl ing leaf des ign worked in blue wool s on a h o m e s p u n g r o u n d .
E n g l a n d , circa 1 6 8 0
Bear ing a mid-twent ieth century typed label that reads: " O l d Engl i sh Kail leaf embro idery worked by the
daughters o f R ichard A m p h l e t t o f Kent before 1 6 8 1 : f r amed by J o h n A m p h l e t t o f C l i ent , seventh in descent
f rom Richard Amphle t t , in 1 9 0 5 . "
FRAMED: 80V2 IN X 4 9 IN (204 CM X 125 CM)
Crewelwork is embroidery worked with
loosely twisted yarn, called crewel. This type
of embroidery dates to ancient Egypt and
there are notable examples of it throughout
history. Crewelwork was popular in England
from the sixteenth century onwards and was
made mainly for bed hangings or curtains in
the late seventeenth century in England, in
America by the early eighteenth century and
across Europe. It was around 1750 that
richer fabrics such as velvet, silk and
brocade superseded crewelwork. This
development corresponded with the
evolving fashion in furniture.
Patterns were executed in coloured
wools on white or neutral linen grounds and
were worked in designs of flowering trees,
set in schematically delineated landscapes,
or bold floral designs with exotic birds that
were derived from imported Indian printed
and painted cottons.
Later designs progressed with less
tightly packed patterns, floral and foliate
motifs became slimmer and more elongated
and more spaciously arranged. Flower
motifs tended to be both of English or Indian
origins; various leaf motifs were stylised
with more slender, long, meandering tendrils
and stems. This panel illustrates well the
early stages of this stylistic development,
the interlinking foliage creating a complex
and elegant natural pattern.
78
A Regency dining table An exceptional William IV, amboyna, circular extending dining table having an inlaid large-scale star at the centre and a border
of ebony. The frieze is interspersed with extending leaf supports in ebony having brass handles with star backs. Six additional
leaves can be bolted to the outer edge of the table and locked in position. The outer leaves are also finished with an ebony outer
rim. The table stands on four boldly modelled turned legs with ebonised collars which terminate in over-scale brass castors.
England, circa 1820
H E I G H T : iS'A IN ( 7 2 C M )
D I A M E T E R C L O S E D : 54 IN (1)7 CM)
D I A M E T E R E X T E N D E D : 7 2 IN (183 CM)
79
Amboyna was first used in England during the eariy
eighteenth century; there is a dressing and writing table of
inlaid anriboyna at the Victoria & Albert Museum that dates
from the Queen Anne period. However, it became
particularly fashionable at the turn of the nineteenth
century and is most closely associated with furniture from
the Sheraton and Regency periods. The Amboyna tree is
native to the East Indies, West of New Guinea, and in
particular to the island of Seram (also called Seran and
Serang and formeriy spelt 'Ceram') from where its
exceedingly beautiful and highly ornamental burls were
once shipped to Europe. (Dutch Trading posts were
opened in the early seventeenth century and the island
came under nominal Dutch control circa 1650). The
ordinary trunkwood from this tree was not commercially
popular and so the more valuable buris are simply termed
amboyna wood.
m 80 J
4 iif*T
81
A Suite of Anglo-Indian Furniture A rare and finely carved suite of mid 19th century Anglo-Indian ivory chairs, consisting of two armchairs and a two
seater settee. Each is carved throughout with gilt foliate scrolls in low relief within recessed panels. The backs have
upholstered central panels, flanked above and below with a rail of turned balusters. Each has a scroll arm supported by
a smaller scroll. The chairs have elaborately decorated seat rails and stand at the front on turned tapering legs, carved
with raised collars and foliate ornament in gilt, terminating in claw feet. Sabre legs support the chair at the back.
India, circa 1860
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B O U R D O N H O U S E
SETTEE
HEIGHT OF BACK: 39 IN (99 CM)
HEIGHT OF SEAT: I9 IN (48 CM)
WIDTH: 4 3 IN ( 109 CM)
DEPTH: 19 IN (48 CM)
CHAIRS
HEIGHT OF BACK: 39 IN (99 CM)
HEIGHT OF SEAT: I9 IN (48 CM)
WIDTH: 21 IN (53 CM)
DEPTH: 19 IN (48 CM)
This remarkable suite of ivory furniture clearly follows a European
model with shaped rails and back splats. It is entirely veneered in
ivory on an Indian hardwood carcass with turned ivory finials
resembling the shaped 'onion' domes so prevalent in Mughal
architecture.
The ornament on the veneered ivory panels has been delicately
carved forming inter-locking flowering vines and spiralling
arabesques. This raised decoration has then been highlighted with
gold leaf to create a rich and opulent effect; so popular with Indian
princes in the nineteenth century. Unusually the Indian artisans have
even taken the care to veneer the undersides of the seat rails,
decorating these panels with additional carved floral designs.
Stylistically this suite is very interesting. Broadly speaking,
ivory furniture made in India falls into two distinct groups. The first
are pieces that have been entirely veneered in ivory and then
subsequently engraved in black lac, commonly associated with the
port of Vizagapatam. The other group includes pieces which have
been constructed from Indian hardwoods and then inlaid skilfully
with ivory.
This suite was clearly a specific commission, most probably
ordered directly by an Indian Prince from the workshops at
Murshidabad. Murshidabad in North-Eastern India was a well known
centre of ivory manufacture. Its craftsmen produced sumptuous
pieces of furniture and whole suites would be ordered by the
nawabs to entertain visiting European dignitaries in their palaces.
There is a table in the Victoria & Albert Museum of similar
decoration with raised and carved ivory ornament of interlocking
flowering vines. These raised surfaces have been gilded in the same
fashion as the Mallett ivory suite.
83
A pair of ivory models of barges A pair of Northern Indian mid 19th century ivory models of ceremonial barges each showing a crew of seated oarsmen in front
of a tented pavilion having a figure within. Each stern is enriched with the carved stylised representation of the eagle god
Garuda and has at the prow the elephant head of the god Ganesha. Each barge stands on an integral ivory plinth.
India, circa 1870
LENGTH: I3'/2 IN (34 CM)
These two barges have as their stern and prow images of Indian
deities both of whom where auspicious to travel. The eagle god
Garuda was the vehicle of the lord Vishnu and therefore has long been
associated with travel. The elephant god Ganesha serves a dual
purpose; he was legendarily reliable and he was a great remover of
obstacles. Both these aspects are clearly appropriate to safe and
trouble free travel.
> 'I--
84
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85
MALLETT AT BOURDON HOL'SE
A Chinese mirror painting An exceptional 18th century Chinese export mirror painting of an
urban landscape with a river running through the centre with figures set
in varying poses. The houses are of varied architecture, some bearing
calligraphy inscriptions. The garden is depicted with a tree at the centre
and a wall with a variety of unusual pots with flowers.
China, circa 1770
F R A M E D : 2 7 IN X 35 I N ( 6 9 C M X 8 9 CM)
Mirror painting, or reverse glass painting,
is thought to have been imported to
China from Europe in the early eighteenth
century by a Jesuit missionary called
Guiseppe Castigl ione. The technique
involves painting on the back of glass
panels in oil and. of course, in reverse.
W h e n decorat ing mirrors the artist would
first trace the outline of the proposed
scene onto the back of the mirror plate,
before carefully removing the mercury and
tin mirror backing to clear a space for the
painting.
In England during the eighteenth
century, Chinese glass paintings were in
great demand. The earliest examples,
dating f rom around 1 750 onwards, were
generally landscapes, in both the Chinese
or western taste, with mirror backing. Of
these, the most popular in England were
those depicting native Chinese
landscapes wi th f igures. Such works were
commonly placed in elaborate
Chippendale frames to serve as mantel
glasses or pier mirrors. By the 1 780s it
had become fashionable to copy English
and European engravings and. as the
nineteenth century progressed, subjects
became simpler, the art ists tending to
focus on single f igures.
Interestingly, the glass used for such
pieces was. on the whole, imported f rom
England, in spite of China's long history of
glassmaking. Ancient China saw glass
used as a subst i tute for jade and as a
material for making decorat ive objects.
More recently, in 1696 the Emperor
Kangxi established a glass workshop
within the Forbidden City but while this
produced a large number of ritual utensils
and ornaments, it produced no flat glass.
A contemporary observer notes how their
ef for ts too of ten resulted in a product that
was 'thin and britt le' by compar ison to its
' thick and crystal-l ike' western
counterpart . As a result, significant
amounts of w indow and mirrored glass
were imported into China.
The scene depicted shows a typical
Jiang Nan o r 'water- town '. of the type
found along certain s t retches of the
eastern coast of China, particularly in the
Yangtze River delta. Towns such as
Zhouzhuang and Wuhzen still attract large
numbers of tourists, an interest which, as
this piece suggests, has existed for some
time. All things Oriental, particularly
generic landscapes or townscapes with
f igures fascinated Western audiences
during this period, offer ing a rare insight
into the myster ious wor ld of the East. As
can be seen here. Chinese gardens
dif fered greatly f rom European examples,
disciplined arrangements of rocks, plants,
water and architecture replacing the
rolling green spaces favoured in the
West . Daoist ideals of disengaging f rom
worldly concerns gave a rationale for
gardens as environments in which an
individual could escape the of ten harsh
realities of contemporary life through
quiet contemplat ion. Characterist ical ly any
plants there were in such a garden,
particularly within an urban sett ing, would
be planted individually in pots to assist
this practice.
86
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
87
B O U R D O N H O U S E
A pair of Kangxi chargers A fine pair of famille verte Kangxi period large scale chargers,
decorated with multiple borders of geometric decoration inset
with vignettes of foliate ornament, each having at the centre an
elaborate bouquet and vase.
China, circa 1700
D I A M E T E R : 1 5 I N <38 C M )
These chargers were made at a time when the European interest in
Oriental wares had reached its climax. Although the Chinese had traded
in porcelain with Europe since the sixteenth century, they were inundated
with vast demands from European countries during the 1700s. To the
Europeans, porcelain was an object of curiosity and fascination, being so
utterly different from their more cumbersome earthenwares.
By the turn of the eighteenth century, the English and Dutch had
cornered the Chinese porcelain market, hence the large quantities of
famille verte wares in England today. This was the most popular
porcelain export ware after blue and white and its name refers to the
polychrome palette of translucent greens, reds, yellows, blues and
purple enamels, applied over the glaze. The favoured subjects of early
eighteenth century famille verte porcelain were a fenced rock garden and
petal-shaped reserves that contained examples from the entire repertoire
of Oriental wares. These included landscapes, the hundred antiques (the
various shapes of Chinese vases), the eight precious objects, the eight
Buddhist emblems and as on these chargers, floral vignettes.This palette
remained popular until the 1730s when it was superseded by the famille
rose palette. It would undergo a revival in the nineteenth century
although the finest pieces are all associated with the reign of Kangxi.
A pair of Chinese oi paintings A pair of early 19th century Chinese export genre views, each
illustrating an interior lit from either a window or an open
door. Both interiors have on the wall a scroll landscape painting
flanked by panels of calligraphy on a red ground. In the
foreground of one is a group of merchants counting coins and
in the other a bird merchant demonstrating his wares.
China, circa 1820
U N F R A M E D : 2 0 I N X 2 5 I N (5 1 C M X 6 3 . 5 C M )
H E I G H T : 2 0 I N (5 1 C M )
W I D T H : 2 5 I N ( 6 3 . 5 C M )
The figures in each of these scenes appear to be merchants,
shown here possibly in the midst of a wager or simply trading.
In the first over a pair of birds and the second a more conventional
table-game. In both, their activities are dramatically lit by shafts of
bright sunlight, though from opposite sides, suggesting the works
were certainly a pair intended to be hung together.
Though gambling was prohibited in China it was never the
less fairly widespread, particularly throughout the coastal regions
lined with the foreign concessions of Shanghai. Hong Kong.
Canton and of course Macao. Due in no small part to Western
influences, gambling was rife in these areas (becoming legal in
Macao in the mid 1800s) to the extent that it was recorded in
such paintings in the same way as any other generic scene.
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
89
MALLETT AT BOURDON HOUSE
A Chinese family A fine a n d r a r e e a r l y 1 9 t h c e n t u r y C h i n e s e f a m i l y g r o u p
d e p i c t e d s e a t e d u p o n a b a l c o n y w i t h a n a q u a t i c
c i t y s c a p e b e h i n d a n d v a r i o u s d o m e s t i c o b j e c t s i n t h e
f o r e g r o u n d . T h e f a t h e r is s h o w n i n c o u r t i e r ' s c o s t u m e
w e a r i n g t h e t r a d i t i o n a l b a m b o o h a t s h o w i n g h i s r a n k ,
t h e c h i l d is s h o w n w i t h a b i r d o n h i s a r m a n d t h e
m o t h e r , s t a n d i n g b e t w e e n t h e m , h o l d s a n o p i u m p i p e .
T h e p a i n t i n g is r e n d e r e d i n a m a n n e r h i g h l y i n f l u e n c e d
b y E u r o p e a n s t y l e .
C h i n a , circa 1 8 2 0
F R A M E D : 2 4 IN X 2 9 IN ( 6 1 C M X 7 4 C M )
H E I G H T : 2 4 IN ( 6 1 CM)
W I D T H : 2 9 IN ( 7 4 CM)
Besides port scenes, ship paintings and portraits. Chinese
painters working for the export market produced a large
body of genre paintings, satisfying the growing fascination
amongst Western patrons with the East. Generally
depicting figures within landscapes, gardens or domest ic
settings, such works offered the contemporary v iewer a
rare glimpse into a wor ld shrouded in mystery, to which
access, was for the most part, denied to outsiders.
As Carl Crossman. notes in his book. T h e China
Trade":"[ . . .with) little opportunity to observe the Chinese at
home, other than on the rare visits to the Honam estates
of some of the wealthy hong merchants, western traders
obviously enjoyed having a fragment of the Chinese way of
life permanently recorded in the paintings they purchased
to take to the W e s t . "
This work is clearly a portrait of one such wealthy
hong merchant, shown seated in the company of his wife
and child. The quality of their clothes and surroundings and,
indeed, of the painting itself suggests both a significant
sit ter and patron. The intimacy of paintings such as this
made them particularly popular
90
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
91
M A L L E T T A T B O U R D O N H O U S E
A pair of Japanese table screens A pair of Japanese six-fold, gold ground early 19th
century table screens, each depicting exotic songbirds
held within diverse cages. Each panel is surmounted by
a trompe I'oeil of a rolled up screen and retains its
original silk border and framing.
Japan, circa 1820
H E I G H T : 2 5 IN (63 CM)
W I D T H : 6 7 I N ( 1 7 0 CM)
Japanese folding screens, or Byobu, played a significant
part in the otherwise minimal Japanese interior. Such
screens are generally constructed of paper mounted over
a light wood skeleton, usually of two or six panels, and
almost always produced in pairs. They would frequently be
embell ished with gold leaf, a feature some suggest may
have been an at tempt to reflect light in dimly lit interiors.
Very early examples tend to depict panoramic
landscapes and classical literary subjects, but during the
Edo period (1603 - 1867) the emphasis changed. The
focus of the artists moved to the people themselves, to
individuals and their pastimes. Solid gold grounds became
popular, against which there are no indicators such as
landscape or architecture to define the context. This fine
pair certainly conform to this later type, still lifes, wi thout
the pictorial context specific to western types.
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A burr olivewood dining table A 20th century burr olivewood veneered extending dining table by Paul Evans (1931-1987), decorated throughout with
asymmetrically arranged square and rectangular sections. The plinth support is composed of alternating vertical rectangular
sections of veneered olivewood and chrome. The table has two additional central leaves.
America, circa 1970
H E I G H T : 29V4 IN ( 7 4 CM)
W I D T H : 4 4 IN ( I I I CM)
L E N G T H C L O S E D : 8 4 IN (2I3 .5 CM)
L E N G T H FULLY E X T E N D E D : I I 4 IN ( 2 8 9 . 5 CM)
1
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Paul Evans was bom in Newtown, Pennsylvannia in 1931 and studied sculpture and metalwork at the Philadelphia Textile Institute and at the School for American Grafters at the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 1952, he was awarded the prestigious Booth Scholarship to attend Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In 1957, Evans exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York and started exhibiting at a Manhattan gallery called America House.
Evans's extensive training in metalwork and sculpture resulted in unique designs of furniture primarily made from steel, bronze and wood. In 1964, Evans met the president of 'Directional', a national furniture manufacturer and became the firm's designer leading to the opening of his own studio in Plumsteadville, Pennsylvannia. This table is a part of Evans's final line for Directional called 'Cityscape'. He juxtaposes square and rectangular burr veneers in a patchwork design, creating a visual metaphor where the veneer represents nature with the design and form representing the New York skyline. Evans stopped working for Directional in the late 1970s but continued with his own workshop and designs until his death in 1987.
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An Art Deco gaming table An Art D e c o circular g a m i n g table. T h e top, the frieze a n d each face o f the base has f l ame veneered panels o f rosewood.
T h e r e are four drawers in the frieze, which is s u p p o r t e d by four c o l u m n s o f smal l drawers. At the top o f each, there is a
small sl ide for drinks or candlest icks a n d the top drawer is d iv ided to hold two packs o f cards. Each drawer has a nickel
plated ball handle . T h e table s tands on inset b lock feet.
Each top drawer bears a fire brand for the maker P.P.
France, circa 1 9 2 5
H E I G H T : 2 9 IN ( 7 4 C M )
D I A M E T E R : 3I!/2 IN (80 C M )
Art Deco, like its predecessor Art Nouveau, was essentially a
surface art, placing great emptiasis on ornamentation. Shaped
also by the radical influences of Cubist painting, Bauhaus
architecture and the influx of tribal art from Africa and South
America, objects took on the sleek, streamlined appearance that
is so familiar today. With the emphasis on ornamentation came a
fascination with exotic and valuable materials.
Highly figured woods were particularly popular, flame
veneers of rosewood here used to great effect, particularly on
the top where four matching veneers are combined to create a
striking geometric pattern. Such manipulation of natural materials
for decorative effect was typical of the period.
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A glass standard amp
An Italian mid 20th century bronze and blue
aventurine glass standard lamp taking the form
of a stylised Grecian bow supported on circular
domed plinth. Each of the attenuated conical
elements of the bow and the domed foot are in
glass and framed in bronze.
The glass attributed to Venini
Italy, circa 1950
H E I G H T ( I N C L U D I N G S H A D E ) : 7 6 I N ( I 9 3 C M )
The pale blue glass, with its appearance of aventurine
caused by inclusion of small particles of copper, is
typical of the glass produced by Venini and other
Murano glass makers of this period. Paolo Venini, a
Milanese lawyer, arrived in Venice in 1921 where he
formed a partnership with Giacomo Cappellin, a
Venetian antique dealer Together they founded a
glassworks, Cappellin Venini & C. that would
revolutionise Venetian glass design. Until then Venice
had been immune to outside design influences. Both
the Arts and Crafts movement and the Art Nouveau
era had passed by without any perceptible change in
the designs emanating from the island of Murano in
Venice. Cappellin-Venini produced simple shapes in
clear or pale transparent colours, in sharp contrast to
the over-decorated tourist-trade output that was the
signature of much Murano glass at the time. After
four years the partnership split and Venini formed his
own company, Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Venini & C.
By extending invitations to artists and architects
to work with their craftsmen (such as Fulvio Bianconi,
Gio Ponti and Toni Zuccheri), Venetian glass
production was transformed, and developed a new
shape, look, and expression. Creating designs for
limited rather than mass production, Venini took
advantage of Murano's historic tradition of small
barely mechanised factories where all manufacturing
processes were still performed by hand.
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An Art Deco standard lamp A r a r e A r t D e c o s t a n d a r d l a m p in s t a i n e d s h a g r e e n
a n d p a l m w o o d t a k i n g t h e f o r m o f a c o l u m n w i t h a
s h a g r e e n c a p i t a l , flanked b y a s y m m e t r i c t a p e r i n g
s h a g r e e n p a n e l s . T h e w h o l e is s u p p o r t e d o n a s q u a r e
p l a t f o r m e n r i c h e d w i t h t r i a n g u l a r p a n e l s
o f p a l m w o o d a n d s h a g r e e n .
F r a n c e , circa
H E I G H T ( INCLUDING SHADE): 8 6 IN ( 2 1 8 . 5 CM)
overleaf
A pair of Italian commodes A p a i r o f I t a l i a n m a h o g a n y ea r ly 2 0 t h c e n t u r y A r t D e c o
p e r i o d c o m m o d e s . E a c h h a s a fall f r o n t , d e c o r a t e d w i t h
s t r i p s o f p o l i s h e d b r a s s b e t w e e n p a n e l s o f finely f i g u r e d
m a h o g a n y . E a c h c o m m o d e is m o u n t e d a t t h e f r o n t w i t h
a h a n d l e o f a s ty l i s ed c a b l e m o t i f T h e y a r e s u p p o r t e d
o n ' X ' f r a m e legs t e r m i n a t i n g in l a c q u e r e d b r a s s f ee t .
T h e d e s i g n a t t r i b u t e d t o G i o P o n t i .
h a l y , circa 1 9 3 5
H E I G H T : 3 7 IN (94 CM)
W I D T H : 4 0 IN ( 1 0 2 CM)
DEPTH: 1 9 IN (48 CM)
Shagreen underwent something of a renaissance during
the art-deco period. Originally it became popular in
Europe during the eighteenth century, being used to
cover small objects such as caskets or prestigious
scientific instruments. Due to the expense and relative
scarcity of the material it was rarely used for anything
larger, until around 1925. The Art Deco style placed
great emphasis on surface decoration employing a
myriad of exotic materials, as is the case here. An
uplighter decked in a combination of shagreen and
palmwood is an essay in extravagance, representative
of the style and period.
The term shagreen is derived from a combination
of the Turkish saghh (the croup of an animal) and the
French word chagrin (on account of the rasping nature
of the leather). A type of untanned leather, it was
originally obtained, in Persia and Turkey, from the hides
of asses, horses and camels. When still soft, seeds
were pressed into the surface and shaken out when
dried, leaving small indentations behind. However, the
term also refers to the treated skin of sharks and ray-
fish. ground flat to create a similar granulated pattern,
as first used by the Japanese. The shagreen used on
this standard lamp appears to be either sharks or ray-
fish skin.
Gio Ponti lived a long and very fruitful life Cfrom 1891-1979).
Having studied architecture in his hometown of Milan, he went
on to receive a number of significant commissions, including
most importantly his renowned Pirelli tower. Regarded by many
as the godfather of modern Italian design, his achievements
extend way beyond architecture, having also been a celebrated
designer, painter and poet, as well as founder and editor of
two very significant design magazines, particularly Domus
which, founded in 1928, is still in print today
In furniture design, as elsewhere, Ponti was prolific. As a
result, certain characteristic features can be identified in his
works. He had a propensity for modifying or experimenting
with traditional themes. One aspect of this is his ability to
reduce seemingly the visual weight of an object, to make a
substantial piece of furniture appear light. This was achieved in
much of his work through the use of tapered legs, thick at the
top and narrowing to a much thinner and daintier foot, as can
be seen in many of his tables from around the forties, such as
the Rosalinda'. He experimented with this motif further, first
curving the legs, as illustrated in Lisa Licitra Ponti's book on
Gio Ponti, publ. Rizzoli, 1996, USA, then crossing them to
form an X frame, as is the case with this pair of commodes,
the result is something of a contradiction. A visibly heavy and
substantial piece of furniture supported on legs which, though
wide at the top, descend to a delicate plie. This playful
abandonment of the traditional rules is characteristic of Ponti's
distinctive style.
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Forthcoming Events
2002
1 8 - 2 4 October The International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show
The Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, USA
23 - 27 October The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show
Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, USA
2 0 0 3
1 6 - 2 6 January The Winter Antiques Show
The Seventh Regiment Armory, Neiv York, USA
30 January - 9 February Palm Beach International Fine Art and Antiques Fair
West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
1 3 - 2 3 March TEFAF Maastricht Fair
Maastricht, The Netherlands
10 - 17 June The Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair
Grosvenor House Hotel, London, UK
13 - 16 June The International Ceramics Fair
Park Lane Hotel London, UK
1 7 - 2 3 October The International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show
The Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, USA
© Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd 2002 Designed by Sinclair Communications Cover illustration by Charles Millar Printed in England by Balding + Mansell
Terms and conditions of sale All business transacted is subject to our standard terms and conditions of sale, copies of which are available on request.
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