Mackinnon Catalogue 2021

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE



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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

Mackinnon Fine Furniture 5 Ryder Street St James's London SW1Y 6PY Telephone: +44 (0)20 7839 5671 | Mobile: +44 (0)7725 332 665 | Email: charlie@mackinnonfineart.com

www.mackinnonfineart.com


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INTRODUCTION Our gallery in Ryder Street is once again open and we have taken great pleasure in welcoming back visitors. We have been extremely fortunate enough to have been kept busy this past unprecedented year. We are very aware of how incredibly tough it has been for some, and so we are particularly grateful for all the support and encouragement we have received. This is our seventh printed catalogue. The challenge of course is trying to find wonderful pieces to offer you. This year, highlights include the wonderful pair of bombé commodes attributed to Pierre Langlois and the lovely small green japanned bureau cabinet. The beautifully made satinwood collector’s cabinet might well be a unique commission. With great provenances, amongst others, we have the sublime carved wall pendants from St. Giles and the fabulous pair of side chairs attributed to William Hallett from Hanbury Hall. The pair of walnut stools is incredibly rare. Please let us know if you find something of interest in this catalogue. Please do come and visit us in St. James’s if you happen to be in the area.

Charlie Mackinnon Mackinnon Fine Furniture

Left: A fine Chinese export reverse glass mirror painting. Cover: Detail from the George III secretaire cabinet, pp. 32-33. Inside Covers: Details from the pair of George III paper scroll tables, pp. 78-81.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE III WHITE PAINTED HALL CHAIRS

In the manner of Thomas Chippendale England, circa 1760 A rare pair of George III white painted hall chairs in the manner of Thomas Chippendale. The balloon-shaped backs are pierced with reserves with carved borders ornamented with scrolls and punctured cabochon motifs, the crestings further carved with rocaille decoration centred on a cabochon lozenge, the outswept scroll arms attached set-back on the slightly saddled seat, above chamfered moulded legs joined by stretchers. Height: 38¼ in (97 cm) Width: 20½ in (52 cm) Depth: 19¼ in (49 cm)

The backs of these chairs relate very closely to a design for a hall chair published in Thomas Chippendale’s The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director. Thomas Sheraton noted ‘Hall Chairs, are such as placed in halls, for the use of servants or strangers waiting on business’, hence the hard seats with no upholstery. Related hall chairs of this pattern, but in mahogany, can be found in the collection of the Earl of Pembroke at Wilton House, Salisbury. A set of four chairs, with the provenance of Viscountess Davenport, was sold from the Samuel Messer Collection in 1991, and a pair from the collection of the Hon. David McAlpine, Fawley House in 2003.

Hall Chairs: Preparatory drawing for Thomas Chippendale’s Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director, 1759. 4


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE I BURR WALNUT CHEST OF DRAWERS

England, circa 1725 A very fine George I burr walnut chest of drawers of excellent colour and patina. Of compact proportions and with the rare feature of a brushing slide, the quarter veneered top is crossbanded and feather-banded, of rectangular form and with front re-entrant corners and a moulded edge, the brushing slide with brass knob handles above four graduated long, feather-banded, oak-lined and quadrant beaded drawers, each fitted with the original gilt brass handles, back plates and escutcheons. With a moulded edge to the lower frieze and standing on shaped bracket feet. Retaining the original metalware, handles and locks. Superb colour and patination throughout. Height: 31½ in (80 cm) Width: 30¼ in (77 cm) Depth: 17½ in (44.5 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A WILLIAM AND MARY WALNUT BUREAU BOOKCASE ON STAND

England, circa 1695 An exceptionally rare William and Mary period walnut desk and bookcase of diminuitive small proportions. The moulded cornice above two hinged doors, inset with their original mirror plates, opening to reveal adjustable bookshelves, with candleslides, above an overhung bureau top above two short and one long drawer. The fall opens, supported by concealed lopers, to reveal tiered drawers, pigeon-holes and a velvet-lined writing surface. The whole supported on faceted pillar legs, joined by an elaborate flat stretcher and standing on bun feet. In wonderful original condition throughout. Height: 67¾ in (172 cm) Width: 24½ in (62 cm) Depth: 18¾ in (48 cm)

Provenance With Frank Partridge, 1930s The collection of Sir Harry and Lady Lily Hague, The Chantry, Barnet Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire. Sotheby’s London, Catalogue of Highly Important English Furniture......including The Property of Lady Hague...., 23 June 1961, lot 117 Literature Country Life, 30 August 1930, p. 274 with Frank Partridge (illustrated) Country Life - 11th Northern Antique Dealers Fair, 17 August 1961 with Quinneys Ltd. (illustrated) The Connoisseur, October 1961, p. XCIV with Quinneys Ltd. (illustrated) M. Jourdain, ‘The Collection of Sir Harry and Lady Hague’, Apollo, no. 45, 1947, pp. 38-40, 75-8, 82. Sir Harry Hague (1881 - 1960) was the managing director of A. Wander Ltd., the company that manufactured the malt drink Ovaltine. At the time of World War II, Ovaltine was one of the most popular brands in Britain, the official drink of the 1948 Olympics, and was taken up Everest by Sir Edmund Hilary in 1953. Sir Harry invested the fortune he amassed in his art collection and employed the renowned furniture historian and connoisseur R.W. Symonds to advise him.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE II MAHOGANY TRIPLE TOP GAMES TABLE

England, circa 1750 A very fine mid 18th century George II mahogany games and tea table. Of bold proportions, this table stands well on shell carved cabriole legs that terminate in finely modelled claw and ball feet, the rear legs with pad feet. The hinged fold-over leaves, supported on an adjustable gate-leg mechanism, open to reveal various difference uses: the plain mahogany surface for laying out tea, the green baize surface for playing cards complete with counter wells and mahogany candle stand roundels, and then the chess and backgammon boards below. Within the frieze a lockable compartment for storing games pieces and equipment. Of fine colour and patina throughout. Height: 29½ in (75 cm) Width: 34½ in (87 cm) Depth: 16½ in (42 cm) when closed Depth: 33 in (84 cm) when open

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE II MAHOGANY CHEST OF DRAWERS

England, circa 1750 An extremely fine mid 18th century George II Chippendale period carved mahogany chest of drawers. Of bold proportions, with a serpentine shaped top with finely carved gadrooned edge above four long graduated drawers, each retaining their superb original ornate brass handles, flanked by well carved canted corners, and standing on shaped ogee bracket feet. Of outstanding colour and patination. Height: 38 in (96.5 cm) Width: 46¼ in (117.5 cm) Depth: 23 in (58.5 cm)

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Provenance Charles Lumb & Sons, Harrogate Private Collection, Yorkshire


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

THE ST. GILES PENDANTS

England, circa 1760 A magnificent pair of mid 18th century George III period giltwood wall carvings or pendants, each superbly carved with a satyr mask surrounded by acanthus leaves above ribbon-tied trailing arrangements of fruit, wheat sheaves and flowerheads. Height: 60½ in (154 cm) Width: 13 in (33 cm) at widest point

Provenance Presumably supplied to Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury (1711 – 1771) for St. Giles House, Dorset Thence by descent, until Christie’s London, Highly Important English Furniture and Sculpture from St. Giles’s House, Dorset, 26 June 1980, lot 68 St Giles House in Wimborne St Giles in East Dorset is the ancestral seat of the Ashley-Cooper family and the Earls of Shaftesbury. This magnificent pair of wall pendants was likely part of the original panel decoration of the State Bedroom and two other rooms at St. Giles that were dismantled, circa 1811, when Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury (1768 – 1851) succeeded his elder brother, Anthony. They were probably originally commissioned by Lord Shaftesbury around the time of his marriage in 1759 to Mary Bouverie, daughter of the 1st Viscount Folkestone, who lived at Longford Castle. It was at this time that St. Giles was redecorated in the rococo style. The outstanding collections of furnishings originally supplied in the 18th century to the Earls of Shaftesbury for St. Giles, now much dispersed, are amongst the most celebrated in the country.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE III 21 INCH GLOBES

By John Cary (1755 – 1835) England, circa 1810 An exceptional pair of George III 21 inch celestial and terrestrial globes by John Cary (1755 - 1835), raised on superb mahogany stands, the tripod legs fluted and tapering, each joined by cross stretchers with a central compass and ending in brass castors. Height: 46 in (117 cm) Diameter: 27¼ in (69 cm) The emergence of globe making in Britain closely mirrored the great cultural and economic changes in 16th and 17th centuries. The exploration of previously unknown continents, the expansion of ocean-going trade and the growing popular interest in science all combined to make desirable a graphic representation of this newly discovered knowledge. Terrestrial and celestial globes provided an ideal medium. By the late 17th century they had become the principal instruments for teaching geography and astronomy. Globes were not only used to teach physical location and the relationship of the various continents and constellations but also to demonstrate the concepts of spherical trigonometry required for navigation and astronomy.

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By the beginning of the 18th century the British globe making industry was concentrated in London. John and William Cary, two brothers who worked in partnership, established themselves as the leading manufacturers of all varieties of globes. John Cary (1755-1835), from Corsley in Wiltshire, was apprenticed to the map engraver William Palmer and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1778. He started his globe making business in 1791, when he advertised terrestrial and celestial globes in a variety of sizes, from 3.5 inches to 21 inches. Library globes were mounted on high mahogany stands with turned, reeded legs, or with a tripod. Table globes were also supplied. The present globes demonstrate clearly the quality and sophistication of John Cary’s work. The elegant stands are constructed using the finest mahogany and the cradles which house the globes are veneered with figured mahogany, now faded to a rich colour with excellent patination. The design of the stands is restrained and simple to create a feeling of lightness. Of particular note, Captain Cook’s voyages are marked on the terrestrial globe, showing the sea routes and tracks he took on his expeditions.


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A SET OF EIGHT WALNUT SIDE CHAIRS

England, circa 1730 A very rare set of eight George II walnut side chairs, with interlaced carved and shaped backs, standing on finely carved acanthus decorated cabriole legs with ring collar and claw and ball feet to the front, the rear legs outswept. The drop-in seats upholstered with 18th century floral needlework. Height: 37¼ in (95 cm) Width: 21½ in (55 cm) Depth: 20½ in (52 cm) Provenance The collection of the Viscounts Astor, at Cliveden, Buckingamshire This very rare set of carved walnut side chairs once formed part of the magnificent furnishings at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire. Built for the 2nd Duke of Buckingham (d. 1687) - Charles II’s chief minister of state- between 1676 and 1678, the house has undergone several phases of re-modelling by its illustrious occupants. These include George Hamilton, Earl of Orkney (d. 1737), Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales (d. 1751), Sir George Warrender, 4th Bt. (d. 1849) and George Granville SutherlandLeveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland (d. 1861). It was the 2nd Duke of Sutherland who commissioned Sir Charles Barry to rebuild the house following a second disastrous fire and it is Barry’s Italianate mansion that survives, externally at least, to this day.

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When the American millionaire and captain of industry William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919) acquired Cliveden in 1893, he immediately set about creating a grand series of rooms for entertaining and to display his collection of Italian medieval and renaissance art, much of which had been acquired during his tenure as U.S. Minister in Rome. Subsequent generations of Astors put their own stamp on the interiors, transforming Cliveden into an epicentre of political and literary society with guests including Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, Lord Curzon, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and members of the Royal Family. During World War II, the 3rd Viscount decided to present the house, with an incredibly generous endowment, to the National Trust, although the family remained in residence until 1966. These fine chairs represent a transition in English chair-making. The rounded ‘compass’ seats are typical of the designs from the 1730s and the acanthus carved cabriole legs - terminating in ringcollared claw and ball feet - are a ubiquitous neo-Palladian motif. The choice of timber is also interesting, as mahogany would soon eclipse walnut as the preferred timber of choice. On the other hand, the sophisticated pierced back splat - incorporating gothic quatrefoil - looks firmly to the future and the hugely influential pattern books of the mid 18th century published by Thomas Chippendale and others.


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A ROYAL LEATHER TRAVELLING CASE

Attributed to Pierre Vente (1722 – circa 1792) France, mid 18th century A superb and very rare large Royal Louis XV gilt-tooled burgundy leather coffre à voyage, or travelling trunk attributed to Royal binder, Pierre Vente. With a hinged domed lid enclosing a compartment with a sham drawer and fall front enclosing two long drawers, the sides fitted with carrying handles, decorated throughout with scrolling foliage and the coats of arms of Mesdames, daughters of Louis XV, enclosing fleur-de-lys.

Provenance Supplied to Mesdames, daughters of Louis XV The collection of Marjorie Wiggin Prescott, USA Christie’s New York, 22 November 1980, lot 249 With Mallett, London Private Collection, New York, acquired from Mallett April 1985

Of extremely rare and impressive large size.

Literature L. Synge, Mallett Millennium, 1999, p. 240, fig. 310 (illustrated)

Height: 26½ in (67 cm) Width: 38½ in (97.5 cm) Depth: 23 in (58.5 cm)

Comparative Literature P. Verlet, Recherches sur quelque coffres en usage à la Cour de France à propos des deux coffres du Musée de Lisbonne, João Couto, In Memoriam, Lisbonne, 1971, p. 241 This superb travelling case (coffre à voyage) is decorated with the coat of arms of Mesdames enclosing fleur-de-lys. It was almost certainly delivered by the Menus Plaisirs for the use of the Filles de France, daughters of Louis XV. Madame Marie-Adélaïde de France (d. 1800), fourth daughter of Louis XV and a noted bibliophile, is known to have had a preference for red morocco leather: her library contained more than 10,000 volumes bound in this material. This travelling case is particularly rare for its large size and condition. Pierre Vente (b. 1722, active until 1792) initially worked under the patronage of the Maréchal de Richelieu and in 1753 became Reliuer (bookbinder) for the Menus Plaisirs du Roi and in 1764 Libraire. Each year he supplied a variety of pieces for different uses to Mesdames.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE II GILTWOOD OVERMANTEL MIRROR By Francis Brodie Scotland, circa 1750 A very fine George II gilt gesso overmantel mirror by Francis Brodie, with a bevelled mercury silvered plate, original backboards, and oval gilt brass plates and cups, and later candle branches. Inscribed to the rear in ink ‘Stuart Room’ and in pencil ‘Lord Wemyss Room’. Height: 27½ in (70 cm) Width: 55¼ in (140 cm) Provenance Supplied to Francis Wemyss Charteris (later styled the 7th Earl of Wemyss), either for his house in Edinburgh or for Amisfield, East Lothian (demolished 1928), and subsequently moved to Gosford House, East Lothian. This mirror bears close comparison with a slightly wider example now at Dumfries House made by Francis Brodie in 1753. This was presumably originally supplied for Lord Dumfries’s Edinburgh residence as Dumfries House was not ready for furnishing until 1757. Francis Brodie (1708 – 1782) is acknowledged as the pre-eminent 18th century Scottish cabinet-maker.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE III MAHOGANY SECRETAIRE-CABINET

Probably by Thomas Chippendale English, circa 1765 An exceptional George III mahogany secretaire-cabinet in the manner of Thomas Chippendale. Of wonderful colour throughout, the acanthus-scrolled and dentil-carved swan-neck pediment with central architectural plinth above two glazed doors with geometric moulded mahogany astragals, over a secretaire-drawer opening to reveal a fitted interior with drawers and pigeon-holes, above two cupboard doors opening to reveal two short and two long cedar lined drawers of the finest quality. The whole raised on shaped bracket feet. With original handles throughout.

Provenance With Hotspur Ltd., Belgravia Private Collection, USA With Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd., London Private Collection, USA

Height: 91 in (231 cm) Width: 40¾ in (103.5 cm) Depth: 24¼ in (57 cm)

The metal hinges on this cabinet are stamped ‘H.TIBATS’ – this maker’s mark is recorded on a number of very high quality pieces of furniture and is thought to probably refer to Hugh Tibbats or Tibats – who was recorded as a ‘hinge and sash fastening maker’ of Bell Street, Wolverhampton.

Literature Mallett, Annual Catalogue, 2015, pp. 35 – 37 (illustrated) C. Gilbert The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, pp. 44-46, 58 and figs. 68-70 and 90.

The superb quality of craftsmanship, the use of magnificent mahogany for the veneers and the details of the design including the profile of the swan neck cresting, the shape of the bracket feet and the glazing bar patterns, the gilt bronze handles and the cut corner moulded details of the paneled doors all relate very closely to the work of Thomas Chippendale. In particular, reference can be made to the lady’s secretaire supplied for Nostell Priory (1766) and a pair of bookcases supplied to Lord Pembroke for Wilton House (1760-62).

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE III BOMBÉ COMMODES

Attributed to Pierre Langlois England, circa 1765 A highly important and very rare pair of George III ormolumounted padouk and rosewood bombé serpentine commodes attributed to Pierre Langlois. Each with a quarter-veneered serpentine top above a shaped drawer fitted with a gilt-tooled leather writing slide, above a pair of doors, standing on splayed feet. The doors opening to reveal an open interior, previously fitted with drawers. With outstanding ormolu handles and mounts. Of exceptional colour and quality throughout. Height: 33¼ in (84 cm) Width: 39 in (99 cm) Depth: 21¼ in (54 cm) Provenance Blairman and Sons, London, 1958 Private Collection, UK With Hotspur Ltd., Belgravia

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Literature P. Thornton and W. Rieder, ‘Pierre Langlois, Ebéniste – Part 3’, Connoisseur, 1972, vol. 179, nos. 719-722, p. 178, fig. 6 These superlative commodes can be confidently attributed to Pierre Langlois as they relate closely to known documented pieces which exhibit the same overall design, similar accomplished veneer-work and related ormolu mounts. The superb metalwork is traditionally attributed to Dominique Jean, Langlois’s son-in-law. Pierre Langlois was a cabinetmaker of Huguenot origin who found favour in both the Royal Court and within the aristocracy. His name is now synonymous with some of the greatest English furniture made, in the French taste, during the second half of the 18th century. His work can be seen in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle today, and he is also known to have supplied furniture to, amongst others, the Duke of Bedford, now at Woburn Abbey. A magnificent commode supplied to the Earl of Coventry for Croome Court by Pierre Langlois is now in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE II MAHOGANY BRASS-MOUNTED SECRETAIRE CABINET Attributed to John Channon England, circa 1740 An exceptional and important George II mahogany brassmounted secretaire-cabinet attributed to John Channon. With a canted rectangular moulded cornice above a hinged door with rounded rectangular beveled mirror-plate enclosing two shelves and three mahogany-lined drawers, the lower section with folding baize-lined flap mounted with an escutcheon engraved with a panther-mask within an acanthus-filled cartouche, enclosing a fitted interior with three drawers and pigeon-holes around a door flanked by pilasters, enclosing three further drawers, above two short and three graduated long drawers, on bracket feet. Height: 76 in (198 cm) Width: 32 in (81 cm) Depth: 18 in (46 cm) Provenance The Freeman family, probably Fawley Court, Buckinghamshire With Jonathan Harris, London, 1994 Private Collection, UK Literature Christopher Gilbert and Tessa Murdoch, ‘Channon Revisited,’ Furniture History, vol. 30 (1994), p. 79, fig. 23 (illustrated) The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair Catalogue, 1994, p. 137 with Jonathan Harris (illustrated) Comparative Literature John Hayward, ‘English Brass-Inlaid Furniture,’ V&A Bulletin, vol. I, no. 1, January 1965 John Hayward, ‘The Channon Family of Exeter and London, Chair and Cabinet-Makers,’ V&A Bulletin, vol. II, no. 2, April 1966 Christopher Gilbert and Tessa Murdoch, eds, John Channon and Brass Inlaid Furniture, 1993 ‘Abraham Roentgen ‘englische Kabinettmacher’ and some further reflections on the work of John Channon,’ V&A Bulletin, vol. II, no. 4, October 1966

John Channon & Brass-Inlaid Furniture This cabinet with its richly figured veneers features distinct decorative features associated with the work of John Channon. Possibly of Huguenot origin, Channon came from a family of cabinet-makers. He established his business in London in 1737 in St Martin’s Lane and achieved great popularity during the reign of George II with prominent patrons. Channon is the attributed maker of the ‘Murray’ bureau now at Temple Newsam, Leeds and the ‘Beckford’ bureau-dressing-table, one of a pair, at the Victoria and Albert Museum. John Channon was not known in furniture history terms until the second half of the twentieth century. Noted furniture historians, including R. W. Symonds, identified the incredible quality of a group of, specifically brass-inlaid, furniture, but identifying a cabinetmaker eluded them at the time. John Hayward, the Deputy Keeper of the Department of Furniture at the Victoria and Albert Museum can be credited with the discovery of Channon’s workshop and production as published in the Victoria and Albert Museum Bulletin in 1965-66. In his research, Hayward explored the possibility that the brass mounts could have been supplied by other craftsmen, particularly those with Continental training. Broadly speaking, brass-inlaid furniture tends to display Continental characteristics and a particular resemblance to Germanic decoration of the time. This association suggests the involvement of German immigrant craftsmen, and Abraham Roentgen, famed for his brass-inlaid work, is a leading contender as he was working in London in the 1730s. The Cabinet One of the notable features of this cabinet is the wonderful scrolled cartouche-escutcheon, which is elaborately engraved with a fabulous panther mask surrounded, fountain-like, by scrolling Roman-acanthus foliage, which recalls the engraved ‘arabesque’ ornament published by French ornamentalists such as Jean Berain and Daniel Marot. This escutcheon features a hinged hidden key-hole cover, which can be released by a concealed spring. This feature can also be seen on some of Channon’s other sophisticated pieces. John Gilbert and Tessa Murdoch illustrate the lock-plate in their 1994 article on Channon and draw the connection between the lock-plate’s design and the engraving on silver attributed to Ellis Gamble, William Hogarth’s master. This type of secretairecabinet was known at the time as ‘A Lady’s Closet’ or a ‘Lady’s chest. These pieces featured a lower section in the form of a chest of drawers with a cabinet of lesser depth atop it with a single door with a plate of mirrored glass. Unusually, the door to the upper section of the cabinet is hinged to the right rather than the left, which is typical of French clocks of the period. John Freeman (c. 1689-1752) was an amateur architect and antiquarian. He inherited Fawley Court, Buckinghamshire in 1707 from his uncle, William Freeman. The house stands on the banks of the River Thames just north of Henley-upon-Thames. Freeman furnished the residence in 1720 with classical antiquities acquired from the Arundel collection of marbles. He also built a Gothic folly on the grounds to display his antiquities.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE II WALNUT SIDE CHAIRS

Attributed to Giles Grendey England, circa 1740-50 A very fine pair of George II walnut side chairs attributed to Giles Grendey. Each chair with a scrolled top-rail above a vaseshaped splat flanked by serpentine stiles, with drop-in silk upholstered seats above cabriole legs carved with shells and trailing harebells to the knees, standing on claw and ball feet, the rear legs splayed. Each with the journeyman’s initials stamped beneath a crown. The walnut of very good colour. Height: 39½ in (100 cm) Width: 22½ in (57 cm) Depth: 23½ in (60 cm)

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These chairs relate very closely to known examples by Giles Grendey that retain his label, sold at Sotheby’s New York, 21 November 1981, lots 233-235. There are other directly related examples including a single chair at Temple Newsam, a chair from the collection of the Duchess of Wellington, and an example at the Carnegie Museum of Art that also retains the original Grendey label. Each of these chairs feature the same basic silhouette with variation to the carved features, including the presence of C-scroll brackets on the knees of some and carved flowerheads on the rising scrolls of the vase-shaped splats.


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE III GILTWOOD MIRROR

In the manner of Robert Adam England, circa 1770 A superb George III Adam period carved giltwood oval mirror. The central oval plate bordered by a moulded beaded rim and also by an elaborate arrangement of carved C-scrolls around the circumference infilled with mirror sections amalgamating into a crest with further leaf carved embellishments, and an anthemion detailed central motif forming into a cresting with a small carved leaf between the upper scrolls. Around the edge at the midsection small carved leaves sprouting out from the edge and again at the bottom, the scrolls linked with carved acanthus leaves into a lower crest. The mirror plates apparently original. Height: 61 in (155 cm) Width: 34¼ in (87 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF CHIPPENDALE PERIOD LIBRARY CHAIRS

England, circa 1765 A very fine pair of George III Chippendale period mahogany Gainsborough or library armchairs, with upholstered seats, backs and arms, supported at the front by well shaped, boldly carved cabriole legs with ball and claw feet, shaped at the top and carved on the knees with acanthus flanked by foliate scrolled brackets, the back legs outswept, all with inset brass castors. The swept, moulded arm supports of reversed scroll form with carved beading at the base and scrolls at the top. The mahogany with rich colour and patination. Height: 38¼ in (97 cm) Width: 28¾ in (73 cm) Depth: 30¾ in (78 cm)

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Provenance Charles Lumb & Sons Ltd., Harrogate, 1991


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A QUEEN ANNE GREEN JAPANNED BUREAU CABINET

England, circa 1700 A very fine Queen Anne green japanned bureau cabinet of rare small proportions. The upper section with moulded cornice above a single bevelled mirror inset door opening to reveal adjustable shelves, with a retractable candle stand. The lower section with a fall front opening to reveal a variety of small drawers and pigeon-holes, a paper-well and a silk velvet-lined writing surface, all above two small drawers and two graduated long drawers above a moulded edge and bun feet. Decorated throughout with wonderful gilded chinoiserie japanned decoration and highlights on a dark green background. Height: 78 in (198.5 cm) Width: 25 in (64 cm) Depth: 20½ in (52 cm)

John Stalker and George Parker were responsible for publishing, in 1688, the earliest book in English on the subject of European lacquer, entitled A Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing. This influential publication offered recipes, technical advice, and ‘above an Hundred distinct Patterns for Japan-work in Imitation of the Indians, for Tables, Stands, Frames, Cabinets, Boxes, &c’. In the treatise they describe that the high gloss finish for lacquer has such an effect that ‘no amorous Nymph need entertain dialogue with her glass or Narcissus retire to a fountain’. The publication listed eight possible background colours for japanned furniture, including green. Japanned work had several advantages over imported lacquer pieces as it was at the time often less expensive and provided an opportunity to create designs that conformed more to European taste and fashion. Nevertheless, japanning was still a costly process and these objects tended only to be found in the wealthiest households. A very closely related japanned bureau cabinet is on display with the National Trust at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk (NT 1398392).

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE III MAHOGANY CORNER CABINET

England, circa 1770 An extremely fine and rare George III mahogany corner cabinet. With part-galleried serpentine top and book-matched flame veneers of the finest mahogany, above a pair of serpentine cupboard doors, standing on elegant yet bold shell carved scrolltoed cabriole legs joined by a flower and harebell carved frieze. Of outstanding colour and patination. Height: 33¾ in (86 cm) Width: 25¾ in (65 cm) Depth: 16½ in (42 cm)

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A PAIR OF GEORGE II WALNUT STOOLS

England, circa 1730 A superb pair of George II walnut stools, with elegant cabriole legs carved with shells at the knee and fine lappet strapwork detailing, with pad feet, and drop-in seats. The carving of superb quality - the colour and patina of the walnut excellent. In remarkably original condition, retaining their original numbered drop-in seat frames. The pads upholstered in fine early 18th century needlework, worked in silks with flowers and leaves issuing from twisting branches all on a cream ground. Pairs of oval walnut stools are extremely rare. Height: 16¼ in (41 cm) Width: 18¾ in (48 cm) Depth: 16¼ in (41 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF LOUIS XVI GILTWOOD BERGÈRES

By Nicolas-Denis Delaisement France, circa 1780 A superb pair of Louis XVI giltwood bergères by Nicolas-Denis Delaisement. Each chair with an arched padded backrest within a frame carved with leaves and surmounted by a bead-and-reel carved chapeau de gendarme cresting and flanked by circular fluted stiles, the padded arm rests and sides with carved scrolled handholds on acanthus carved supports, the loose-cushioned bow-fronted seat with conforming beaded apron, the whole raised on ring-turned tapering spiral carved legs. Both front rails stamped DELAISEMENT. Height: 38 in (96.5 cm) Width: 21½ in (55 cm) Depth: 25 in (63.5 cm)

Provenance Private Collection, USA, since the 19th century These bergères were last acquired in the 19th century and have descended through the family of an American collector. A related highly important fauteuil en cabriolet from the same collection by Jean-Baptiste Sené delivered for Marie Antoinette’s Cabinet de Toilette at the Château de Saint Cloud was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 25 April 1998, lot 339, and again at Sotheby’s, New York, October 22, 2005, lot 79. Other pieces from the same suite by Sené for Saint-Cloud are in the collections at Versailles in the Petit Trianon, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. A related pair of Louis XVI giltwood canapés by Delaisement from the collection of the Earl of Rosebery, Mentmore Towers, Buckinghamshire sold at Doyle New York, 31 January 2018, lot 417. Nicolas-Denis Delaisement, maître in 1776. Clearly influenced by his celebrated confrère Georges Jacob, the oeuvre of Delaisement is also typified by its beautiful crafstmanship, elegant proportions and delicate carved motifs, mainly in the refined Louis XVI neo-classical style of the 1780s.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE II GREEN JAPANNED SIDE CHAIRS

In the manner of Giles Grendey England, circa 1725 A rare pair of George II green japanned side chairs in the manner of Giles Grendey. Each with a shell carved arched top rail and drop-in upholstered seat, standing on cabriole front legs joined by turned and waved stretchers, the front cabriole legs terminating in ball and claw feet. Each chair decorated throughout with magnificent whimsical chinoiserie decoration in the manner of Stalker & Parker. Height: 41 in (104 cm) Width: 22 in (56 cm) Depth: 23 in (59 cm)

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The fashion for japanning in England was promoted by the publication of John Stalker and George Parker’s seminal work, A Treatise on Japanning and Varnishing, in 1688. This extensive guide offered thorough guidance and descriptive instruction on the japanning technique as well as decorative schemes to use.


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A GEORGE III MARQUETRY PEMBROKE TABLE

Attributed to Ince & Mayhew England, circa 1775 A very fine George III harewood and marquetry Pembroke table attributed to Ince & Mayhew. The serpentine twin-flap top, veneered in harewood throughout and inlaid with three oval fan medallions, diagonally cross-banded in tulipwood, above a mahogany-lined frieze drawer to one side, raised on square tapering legs, headed with flute-inlaid capitals over strung collars, veneered in harewood with contrasting boxwood stringing to edges, terminating in brass-capped leather castors. Height: 28½ in (72 cm) Width with flaps open: 38½ in (98 cm) Width with flaps down: 20½ in (52 cm) Depth: 28¼ in (72 cm)

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Finely conceived in the fashionable neoclassical taste, this diminutive table can be attributed on stylistic grounds to the workshop of William Ince and John Mayhew. The extensive use of exotic, fiddleback-figured harewood, diagonal crossbanding with tulipwood, faux-fluted inlaid leg capitals and contrasting edge-stringing, as well as the finest quality of once brightly coloured inlays and the use of expensive mahogany as a secondary timber, are all features indicative of their workshop.


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A GEORGE III SATINWOOD DISPLAY CABINET

Possibly by George Simson England, circa 1795 A superb late 18th century George III satinwood breakfront display or collector’s cabinet. In three sections, the upper two parts with satinwood framed and amaranth banded glazed doors with extremely fine astragals, silk lined interiors and adjustable glass shelves. The lower section with three graduated rows of four kingwood crossbanded satinwood fronted drawers above a plinth base. Retaining its original gilded handles. The satinwood of superb colour and figuring throughout. An extremely rare piece of furniture, of exceptional quality. Possibly a unique commission. Height: 77¾ in (198 cm) Width: 69 in (175.5 cm) Depth: 12 in (30.5 cm)

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Provenance Dudmaston Hall, Shropshire Dudmaston Hall in the Severn Valley, Shropshire is a late 17th century country mansion now in the care of the National Trust. The estate has been in the Wolryche and Wolryche-Whitmore families since 1403 and a relation still lives there today. George Simson (1780 – 1839) was a cabinet-maker, as well as upholder and undertaker, whose workshops were located at 19 St. Paul’s Churchyard. He was the son of a surgeon and apothecary from Chatham, Kent. In 1793 he subscribed to Thomas Sheraton’s Drawing Book and in 1803 he was included in the list of master cabinet-makers in the Cabinet Dictionary. Little is know of Simson’s clientele although there are records of payments from the 2nd Viscount Palmerston and the Viscount Grimston at Gorhambury, Hertfordshire.


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A GEORGE II MAHOGANY WING CHAIR

Ireland, circa 1750 A rare Irish George II period mahogany wing chair. Of generous proportions, the back and seat panels upholstered with contemporary French mid 18th century period needlepoint. Standing on superb front cabriole legs carved with wonderful lion masks flanked by acanthus leaves at the knees, and with hairy paw feet. The backs legs elegantly outswept. Height: 48½ in (123.5 cm) Width: 30½ in (77.5 cm) Depth: 30 in (76 cm)

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A GEORGE I BURR WALNUT BUREAU CABINET

Traditionally attributed to the Master of the Royal Portuguese Cabinets England, circa 1720 An important George I burr walnut bureau cabinet of exceptional quality. The magnificent walnut cross-banded and feather-banded throughout, the serpentine cresting and cavetto cornice enclosing a shaped inset cartouche with carved interlaced C-scrolls, above a pair of arched mirrored doors enclosing a fitted interior of pigeon-holes and shelves, the bureau section enclosing a fitted interior of drawers and a cross and featherbanded writing flat, above four short and two long drawers, on shaped bracket feet. The lock plate exquisitely engraved.

Provenance J. H. Gillingham, The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, 1936 Either John, 2nd Baron Hothfield of Hothfield (d. 1952) or his son Henry, 3rd Baron Hothfield of Hothfield (d. 1961) Apter-Fredericks Ltd., London Private Collection, London Hotspur Ltd., London Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd., New Bond Street, London Private Collection, UK

With label in upper left drawer: ‘Purchased from / J.H. Gillingham South Kensington / At the / Antique Dealers’ Fair / Grosvenor House W.1./1936’.

Literature Apter-Fredericks, 18th Century English Furniture, 1986, cat. no. 1

Height: 91¼ in (232 cm) Width: 38¾ in (98.5 cm) Depth: 21½ in (54.5 cm)

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THE DUKE OF LEEDS SIDE CHAIRS

Attributed to Philip Guibert England, circa 1700 A magnificent and highly important pair of William III gilt-gesso and black-japanned side chairs attributed to Philip Guibert. The arched padded back upholstered in old ‘Genoa’ velvet within rectangular moulded surrounds surmounted by serpentine crestings and with conforming aprons decorated with jewelled motifs punctuated by shells and foliage, the matching upholstered seats with moulded seat rails above valanced aprons decorated with flowerheads and geometric motifs on square panelled baluster front supports with conforming decoration linked to the rear splayed legs by waved and arched X-shaped strechers centered by turned finials and split turned mouldings. Height: 53¼ in (135 cm) Width: 22¼ in (57 cm) Depth: 26 in (66 cm)

Provenance Almost certainly supplied to Sir Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds (d.1712) for either Kiveton Park, Yorkshire, or Wimbledon, Surrey Probably the suite recorded in an inventory of Kiveton dated 1727, in the state drawing room on the second floor — “14 Chairs & 2 Stools frames Black & Gold. Cover’d wth flowred Velvt. trim’d wth guilt Mouldings and Serge Cases. / 1 Large Seat Ditto”. Thence by descent at Hornby Castle, Yorkshire to George Godolphin Osborne, 10th Duke of Leeds (1862 - 1927) Christie’s, London, 10 June 1920, lot 114 Acquired by Moss Harris, London The collection of Mrs David Gubbay, Hertford Street, London Sold Sotheby’s, London, 29 January 1960, lot 118 The suite, comprising a settee, single chairs and stools, was advertised for sale by W. Waddingham of London and Harrogate in Apollo, vol. LXXVIII, no. 22 (December 1963) The collection of Baron Phillipe de Rothschild (who gave one pair to the Victoria & Albert Museum) The remaining six acquired by Mallett, London, 1965 The collection of Mr and Mrs I. W. Colburn, Chicago With Mallett, London, 2001 Private Collection, UK Selected Literature Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714 From Charles II to Queen Anne, 2002, illustrated frontispiece Percy Macquoid, The History of English Furniture - The Age of Walnut, 1905, p.114 Edward Joy, The Country Life Book of Chairs, 1967, illustrated on the front cover Ian Wardropper and Lynn Springer Roberts, European Decorative Arts in the Art Institute of Chicago, 1991, p.44 Apollo Magazine, vol. LXXVIII, no. 22 (December 1963), illustrated Country Life, Mrs David Gubbay’s Collection of Furniture, 19 October 1926, lvii-lxii Country Life, vol. XX, July 14 1906 p.54-64 Adam Bowett and Ian Fraser, ‘An Imposter Unmasked: the “Duke of Leeds” suite at Temple Newsam House’, Furniture History, vol. LI (2015), pp. 77-86. This chair illustrated as fig. 10, p. 85 Related Literature Christopher Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, 1978, vol. II, pp.264-7, nos. 322-3 Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert (eds.), Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660 - 1840, 1986, p. 1015

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A GEORGE III MAHOGANY BREAKFAST TABLE

England, circa 1780 A very fine George III Sheraton period mahogany breakfast table. Of rare small scale, the oval mahogany cross-banded top of superb colour and patina, with particularly good natural figuring to the timber, with a moulded edge and wide crossbanding. On a turned baluster single pedestal with four elegant outswept legs terminating in brass box castors. Height: 28 in (71.5 cm) Width: 56 in (142 cm) Depth: 43 in (109 cm)

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A GEORGE I WALNUT STOOL

England, circa 1725 A very fine George I walnut stool. Of rectangular form, standing on elegant cabriole legs, with scroll carved detail and shaped feet. The walnut of excellent colour and with original patination. The seat now upholstered in a traditional 17th century style cut velvet with gold metallic thread detailing. Height: 17 in (43 cm) Width: 22 in (56 cm) Depth: 17 in (43 cm)

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THE CHANDOS BUREAU

Attributed to Peter Miller England, circa 1725 An exceptional and very rare George I figured walnut cross-banded and feather-banded bureau attributed to Peter Miller. In two parts, the top with a pair of hinged sloping doors, lined with silk velvet, which open outwards, the interior fitted with a sliding velvet-lined writing surface, and a combination of drawers and pigeon-holes. The lower part fitted with a pair of projecting panelled doors flanked by gilt carved and gesso decorated walnut Corinthian pilasters concealing hidden compartments and three short concave drawers to each side, above a shaped apron drawer with projecting plinths, standing on shaped bracket feet with castors. The sides fitted with wonderful brass carrying handles. With solid walnut lined drawers throughout. Of exceptional quality. A masterpiece of 18th century walnut furniture. Twice inscribed in ink on the inner backboards, ‘To His Grace The Duke of Chandos at Shaw Hall, near Newbury, Barks(sic).’ Height: 46½ in (119 cm) Width: 48 in (123 cm) Depth: 29½ in (75 cm)

Provenance Supplied to James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos (1673-1744) for Shaw Hall, Berkshire circa 1725 Acquired by Thomas Alexander Brown in 1738 Acquired by Reverend William Shepherd (1768-1847) in 1809, and by descent Private Collection, London James Brydges, Duke of Chandos (1673-1744) James Brydges was the first of fourteen children by Sir James Brydges, 3rd Baronet of Wilton Castle, Sheriff of Herefordshire, 8th Lord Chandos. As Paymaster-General of Marlborough’s army he built a fortune that placed him amongst the richest men of his day, and he profited from his position by £600,000 when he resigned in 1713. Rising through the peerage, Chandos became successively Viscount Wilton, Earl of Carnarvon, and Duke of Chandos. Having acquired great wealth and influence, Chandos commissioned work from leading artists and architects. Alongside Sir Robert Walpole and Sir Hans Sloane, Chandos was considered one of the most important patrons of the 18th century. Chandos’ fortunes were, however, short-lived and he unfortunately suffered spectacular losses when the financial disaster of the South Sea Bubble struck, and much of his estate had to be sold.

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A SET OF GEORGE II MAHOGANY DINING CHAIRS Attributed to Wright & Elwick England, circa 1750 A superb set of ten George II carved mahogany dining chairs of the finest quality, the mahogany crisply carved throughout, the shaped top-rail centred by a carved pagoda cresting above incised trellis decoration and flanked by carved foliate motifs above bead and reel mouldings, the moulded and tapered uprights centred by conforming decoration and headed by carved acanthus leaves, the ornately carved and pierced interlaced splat with a pair of rosettes and a scallop motif carved shoe, the shaped open arms with leaf-carved terminals and carved downswept supports, the drop-in seat within scallop motif mouldings above borders of blind fret carving and egg and dart mouldings, on foliate and scroll-carved cabriole legs ending in claw and ball feet. The set comprised of two armchairs and eight single chairs (one of a later date). Side chairs: Height: 38½ in (98 cm) Width: 24 in (61 cm) Depth: 23½ in (60 cm) Armchairs: Height: 38¾ in (98.5 cm) Width: 26½ in (67.5 cm) Depth: 25 in (63.5 cm)

Provenance Almost certainly commissioned for a house in Yorkshire With Mallett, New Bond Street, London Property of a European Noble Family Private Collection, UK Wright & Elwick became the pre-eminent firm of cabinetmakers and upholsterers in Yorkshire in the second half of the 18th century, enjoying a dominance almost comparable to that achieved by Gillows in Lancashire. Subscribers of Thomas Chippendale’s 1754 Director, their prestigious clients included the Earl of Strafford at Wentworth Castle, the Marquis of Rockingham at Wentworth Woodhouse and William Constable at Burton Constable.

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A GEORGE I WALNUT CHEST ON CHEST

England, circa 1720 A very fine George I walnut chest on chest of particularly good colour and patina. Well proportioned and standing extremely well, with a moulded square cut cornice above two short drawers and three long drawers in the upper section, above a further three long graduated drawers in the lower section, standing on shaped bracket feet. The drawer fronts all with beaded edge, feather banding and book matched veneers, and retaining their original brass handles and escutcheons. With fluted canted corners to the upper section and cross-banded side panels. Height: 72 in (183 cm) Width: 40¼ in (102 cm) Depth: 20¾ in (53 cm)

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A GEORGE II WALNUT SETTEE

Attributed to William Hallett England, circa 1725 – 1730 An extremely rare George I walnut settee with shepherd’s crook arms and standing on three shell carved cabriole legs to the front which terminate in pad feet, and outswept legs to the rear. Each front leg with a carved collar above the foot. The walnut of very fine colour and patina. The shaped upholstered padded back and seat covered in its magnificent original early 18th century needlework, with floral designs on ivory coloured panels framed with russet borders. Height: 43 in (109 cm) Width: 50½ in (128 cm) Depth: 28 in (71 cm)

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The carved collar or ring around the ankle of each front leg is often considered a signature hallmark of the work of William Hallett, one of the leading cabinet-makers in London of the 18th century.


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A PAIR OF GEORGE III SCROLL PAPER TABLES

England, circa 1790 A highly important and extraordinary pair of George III scroll paper tables. The demi-lune tops each with an inset oval painted medallion, with similar panels to the centre of each frieze, depicting a basket of fruit, a musical trophy, birds with chicks in a nest, and a pair of squirrels. The remainder of the tops, friezes, and the facets to the legs profusely decorated in minute coloured scrolled paperwork formations of swags and flowers, with giltwood highlights to the frieze and legs, each terminating in gilded spade feet. Height: 34½ in (87.5 cm) Width: 48¼ in (122.5 cm) Depth: 19½ in (49.5 cm) Provenance With King & Chasemore, 12 December 1969 (advertised in Apollo Magazine) The March Collection With Partridge Fine Art, New Bond Street, London Private Collection, UK

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Selected Bibliography P. Macqouid, The Leverhulme Art Collections, III, 1928, p. 88, no. 397, pl. 98 G. C. Rothery, ‘Rolled Paper Work,’ The Magazine Antiques, July 1929, pp. 21-24 M. Riccardi-Cubitt, The Art of the Cabinet, 1992, p. 143 for a cabinet on stand G. Walkling, Tea Caddies, 1985 G. Bernard Hughes, ‘English Filigree Paperwork,’ Country Life, 21 September 1951 J. Ruskin, ‘Paper Filigree: A Woman’s Pastime Becomes Art,’ Antiques Journal, March 2008, pp. 26-29 J. Field, Collecting Georgian and Victorian Crafts, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1973 C. I. A. Ritchie, Art in Paper, A. S. Barnes and Company, New York, 1976 R. Reif, ‘Paper Filigree: An Art for Leisure,’ New York Times, 8 May 1988 M. F & W. J Papp, Rolled, Scrolled, Crimped and Folded: The Lost Art of Filigree Paperwork, New York, 1988 N. Riley, The Accomplished Lady—A History of Genteel Pursuits, Wetherby, Oblong Creative Ltd, 2017 B. Howe, ‘Rolled Paper-Work,’ Country Life, 5 May 1944, pp. 778-79


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Scroll Paper: A History Paper filigree, paper lace, and quilling all refer to the decorative style achieved by rolling up ribbon-like strips of paper into small coils or scrolls and gilding or colouring the paper to create a polychrome effect. When applied together the finished surface takes on a honeycomb-like appearance. The art form derives inspiration from the traditional practice of metal filigree work of 15th century Italy and Austria. The technique was highly prized and spread to Asia where it was enthusiastically practiced by local craftsmen. Filigree work became popular in England towards the end of the 17th century. When Charles II (r.166085) married Catherine of Braganza in 1662, she brought a dowry that included a number of precious objects from India, including impressive caskets and jewellery made in a similar manner with silver and silver gilt filigree. The diarist Samuel Pepys referred to the art form in 1683 when he noted on 14 May, ‘This day we received a baskett from my sister Pall, made by her of paper, which hath a great deal of labour in it for country innocent work.’ The fashion for this decorative style grew steadily in the 18th century and remained popular throughout the Georgian period. A Genteel Pursuit The paper scroll decorative technique was often carried out by ladies as a hobby that was considered both refined and artistic. The New Ladies’ Magazine published an account of paper filigree work including patterns for floral motifs and borders. These designs made use of the wide range of techniques to fold and scroll the papers to make complex and elaborate decoration. The craft was described as being ideally suited for refined women, as ‘the art affords an amusement to the female mind, capable of the most pleasing and extensive variety; it may be readily acquired and pursued at a very trifling expense.’ In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Elinor Dashwood assists Annamaria Middleton in creating a paper filigree basket. Elinor notes, ‘I may be of some use to Miss Lucy Steele, in rolling her papers for her... I should like the work exceedingly’. A Royal Pastime Princess Elizabeth, daughter of George III, is believed to have made a pole screen covered with scroll paper work with floral still life decoration for her physician, Dr. Alexander Fothergill. Along with her four sisters, Elizabeth received tuition in a range of artistic skills, including drawing, lithography, and silhouette portraiture. Princess Elizabeth’s interest in scroll paper work was mentioned in an article published in 1785 promoting the art form. The article, written originally in French by a Mr. Styart, notes in the subtitle that paper filigree-work is ‘at present one of the most polite amusements of young ladies of fashion, and even of the Royal offspring.’ In 1791, Charles Elliott (17521832), a cabinet-maker and upholder of Shepard Street who held the role of ‘Royal Upholsterer and Cabinetmaker,’ is known to have supplied Princess Elizabeth with a box prepared for decorating with filigree work, as well as fifteen ounces of different filigree papers and an ounce of gold paper.

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The Market for Scroll Paper Shops offered instruction guides on the technique and accompanying materials, including papers in a rainbow of hues. The stationer and printer William Heath of Well Court, Queen Street Cheapside advertised that it sold ‘Filagree in Colours, Plain/... in Colours, Gilt/ … White do. …. Card do. / Frosting of different fine Colours, for Filigree work.’ Cabinetmakers in turn created picture frames, boxes, and mirrors fitted with recesses for the paper work. S. & J. Fuller at the Temple of Fancy, 34/35 Rathbone Place supplied such frames and boxes to be filled with ‘fancy work,’ which included scroll paper designs. Rudolph Ackermann’s Repository of Arts at 101 The Strand was renowned for its impressive collection of all sorts of artists materials, including ‘various coloured and fancy papers.’ Comparisons Although scroll paper decoration was mostly confined to smaller pieces, such as tea caddies or picture frames, there are a few exceptional pieces of furniture decorated with this delicate technique, including this rare pair of tables and a scroll paper cabinet on stand at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Cheshire which, in addition to the scroll paper work, is fitted with painted panels and freshwater pearls. The Victoria & Albert Museum has a cabinet stand with architectural pediment (W.14:1-1973) which, like the present pair of tables, features square tapered legs with similar vine decoration alternating with trailing harebells terminating in the same chequered pattern toward the block feet. This decorative style was the subject of an exhibition, ‘Rolled, Scrolled, Crimped, and Folded: The Lost Art of Filigree Paperwork,’ at the Florian Papp Gallery in New York in 1988.


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A GEORGE II WALNUT SIDE CHAIR

In the manner of Giles Grendey England, circa 1730 A very fine George II carved walnut side chair in the manner of Giles Grendey. The seat and back upholstered in very fine French 18th century needlepoint which is in excellent condition and still retains very strong colours. The chair standing on four exceptional carved legs, of cabriole form to the front and outswept to the rear, each carved to the knees and terminating in animal paw feet. Beautifully carved detail and a lovely colour walnut. Height: 40 in (102 cm) Width: 27 in (68.5 cm) Depth: 30 in (76 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE I WALNUT BACHELOR’S KNEEHOLE DESK

England, circa 1720 An exceptionally fine and rare George I period walnut bachelor’s kneehole desk and chest, with quarter veneered and herringbone banded fold-over top above a long drawer and an arrangement of six small drawers around a central kneehole cupboard, standing on bracket feet. Retaining the original handles. An outstanding piece of walnut furniture. Height: 29½ in (75 cm) Width: 30 in (76 cm) Depth: 13 in (33 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A SET OF FOUR GEORGE III PAINTED ARMCHAIRS

England, circa 1785 An exquisite set of four late George III Hepplewhite period carved, parcel-gilded and painted elbow chairs, retaining wonderful gilded and painted decoration, with silk upholstered backs and seats, carved beading to the arm supports, and standing on tapered acanthus collared fluted legs. Height: 38¼ in (97 cm) Width: 23¾ in (60 cm) Depth: 23¾ in (60 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE III ROSEWOOD SOFA TABLE

Attributed to Gillows England, circa 1800 A particularly fine Sheraton period rosewood sofa table. The top with twin drop leaves with rounded corners, partridge-wood banding and ebony lines, two narrow satinwood bandings and outer rosewood cross-banded borders. The frieze with two oaklined drawers each side with satinwood cross-banding flanked by partridge-wood panels similarly cross-banded. Standing on standard end supports with double swept legs terminating in brass box castors, the supports united by a high arched stretcher, all with inset box and ebony stringing. With fire-gilt brass handles. Of superb quality. Height: 28¼ in (72 cm) Width: 60¾ in (154 cm) Depth: 29¾ in (76 cm) Provenance Charles Lumb & Son Ltd., 1988 Private Collection, London A pair of near identical rosewood sofa tables was supplied by Gillows of Oxford Street to Stephen Tempest of Broughton Hall in 1803. They were invoiced as ‘…2 large rosewood sofa tables with drawers in do. and on claw & castors 14 gns. 29-8-0d’. At the beginning of the 19th century, Gillows introduced a new type of table, specifically designed to be placed beside a sofa, into their Estimate Sketch Book. In 1801, they advised their client Lady Gardiner of Clerk Hill ‘ the most fashionable form now used are what we call sofa tables’ and enclosed a sketch which showed how ‘the 2 leaves fall down like a Pembroke table’. Sofa tables could be adapted to suit many needs, as games, tea or writing tables. Often veneered in wonderful rare and costly timbers, the fitted drawer knobs were supplied in either ivory, exotic woods or brass.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A WILLIAM AND MARY JAPANNED MIRROR

England, circa 1690 A rare large late 17th century William and Mary japanned cushion mirror. Of impressive scale, the bolection frame decorated throughout with chinoiserie decoration with gilded highlights on a black background. Retaining the original bevelled mirror plate. Height: 47½ in (121 cm) Width: 38¼ in (97 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF WILLIAM AND MARY WALNUT ARMCHAIRS

England or Scotland, circa 1690 An extremely fine pair of William and Mary walnut open armchairs, each with pierced foliate cresting rail above a four bar vertical splat flanked by pierced foliate decoration and turned baluster stiles, with moulded arms with acanthus scroll terminals, above a caned seat with foliate carved rails, with pierced foliate front stretcher and foliate-carved front legs joined by turned baluster stretchers, on paw feet. With fitted silk squab cushions. Stamped ‘WS’. Possibly by William Scott Height: 47¼ in (120 cm) Width: 24 in (61 cm) Depth: 20¼ in (51 cm)

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Literature Norman Adams, 2005 Catalogue (illustrated) A. Bowett, English Furniture 1660 - 1714 From Charles II to Queen Anne, Woodbridge, 2002, p. 234, pl. 8:11, for a related armchair J. Gloag, The Englishman’s Chair, 1964, pl. 29, for a related daybed The ‘WS’ mark on the chairs may refer to the Edinburgh cabinetmaker William Scott who began trading in 1685 and was granted, circa 1692, the sole right to make caned chairs in Scotland by William III.


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE II MAHOGANY HALL CHAIRS

England, circa 1750 A very fine pair of George II finely figured mahogany hall chairs in the traditional sgabello form. Each chair with a cartouche shaped moulded back above a rounded seat with a dished roundel, the shaped front and back legs joined by a stretcher. The mahogany of superb colour and patina. Height: 36½ in (93 cm) Width: 15¼ in (39 cm) Depth: 19 in (48 cm)

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The inspiration for the basic form of the hall chair comes from the Italian Renaissance sgabello seats, which were stools with a back support often carved and decorated with heraldic imagery and placed in the hallways of grand palazzos. In England, by the mid 18th century, designs for hall chairs had appeared in Chippendale’s Director and other contemporary design books including Robert Manwaring’s The Chair-Maker’s Real Friend and Companion. The plain backs of these chairs were often decorated with armorials or family crests. A closely related set of chairs was supplied to the Earl of Dumfries for Dumfries House by Alexander Peter in 1758 and remain in situ today. The painted decoration, in their case the Crichton crest encircled by the Collar of the Order of the Thistle, is known to have been completed by John Bonnar in 1759.


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A GEORGE III SERPENTINE SERVING TABLE England, circa 1780 A very fine and rare George III Chippendale period mahogany serpentine fronted serving table, the cross-banded top with concave corners and serpentine sides. The fluted frieze with inlaid and engraved oval paterae above six stop fluted tapering legs with shaped block feet. This wonderfully shaped serving table is a classic example of its period. The patina is untouched and consequently the colour is excellent. Height: 36½ in (92.5 cm) Width: 73 in (185.5 cm) Depth: 32½ in (82 cm) Provenance Presumably Walter Blunt of Wallop Manor, Hampshire, and by descent to General Blunt, Adderbury Manor, thence by descent to The Countess of Cromartie, Castle Leod, Easter Ross A set of hall chairs with the Blunt family crest and motto painted on the backs are recorded. They relate very closely in design to the hall chairs supplied by Thomas Chippendale to the Lascelles family at Harewood House, and a Chippendale attribution is a firm possibility. Stylistically the Blunt hall chairs compare closely to the overall design and feel of this superb table and, whether by Chippendale or not, they were clearly part of the same original apparently undocumented commission.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A SERPENTINE MAHOGANY SOFA

After the pattern attributed to William & John Gordon England, George II Style A very fine George II style mahogany upholstered sofa, after the celebrated pattern attributed to William & John Gordon. Of serpentine outline, the seat rails and cabriole legs carved throughout in the finest detail with scales, rosettes and foliate clasps. With a shaped padded back, out-turned arms and a serpentine seat. Outstanding quality carving throughout. Height: 37¾ in (96 cm) Width: 85 in (216 cm) Depth: 34¾ in (88 cm) Comparative Literature Anthony Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, London, 1968, fig. 87 The serpentine mahogany show-frame carved with imbricated scales on this sofa corresponds to the design for a set of eight chairs supplied in 1756 by John Gordon to James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl (1690 - 1764) for Blair Castle, Perthshire. The same pattern is also found on the extensive suite of seat furniture attributed to William and John Gordon, almost certainly supplied to George Brudenell, 4th Earl of Cardigan (1712 - 1790) for Ditton Park, Buckinghamshire. A pair of chairs from this suite was sold from the collection of Simon Sainsbury, Christie’s London, 18 June 2008, lot 60. Further armchairs from the suite are in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and in the Noel Terry Collection at Fairfax House, York.

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

THE HANBURY HALL CHAIRS

Attributed to William Hallett England, circa 1735 An exceptional pair of George II mahogany side chairs attributed to William Hallett. The seat covers with early eighteenth century French needlework, worked in polychrome wools and silks in gros-point and petit-point, the seat back vertical cartouche enclosing chinoiserie figures flanking a very unusual wine press and surrounded by accessories, and the seats with a horizontal cartouche enclosing an elaborate water cistern flanked by exotic animals, surrounded by exuberant scrolling leaves, against a cream coloured ground, worked in gros-point. Each chair standing on magnificent mahogany cabriole legs to the front and rear terminating in ball-and-claw feet, with concealed brass and leather castors. The front legs carved to the knees with shells and each with a carved mahogany ring collar to the ankle. The needlework seat covers apparently original. Photographed in situ at Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire and later at Upton House, Warwickshire. Height: 40¼ in (102 cm) Width: 30 in (76 cm) Depth: 30 in (76 cm)

Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire. David Hughes/Shuttershock.com. 100

Provenance Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire, possibly acquired by Thomas Bowater Vernon or Sir Harry Foley Vernon, 1st Baronet, until Acquired circa 1927 by Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted, M.C., for the Long Gallery, Upton House, Warwickshire Both Hanbury Hall and Upton House are now part of The National Trust. Literature H. Avray Tipping, English Homes Period IV – Vol. 1 Late Stuart, 1649-1714, 1920, Hanbury Hall, pp.397-404, figs. 490 & 492 J. Haworth & G. Jackson-Stops, Hanbury Hall, The National Trust, 1994, ill. p. 7 A. Oswald, ‘Upton House, Warwickshire-I,’ Country Life, 5 September 1936, p. 251, fig. 8 G. Jackson-Stops, Upton House, The National Trust, 1980, ill. p. 12 S. Murray, ‘Upton House, Warwickshire,’ Country Life, 11 June 1992, p. 144, fig. 4 L. Wood, The Upholstered Furniture in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, vol. I, 2008, pp. 327-328


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE III GILTWOOD PIER MIRROR

In the manner of Robert Adam England, circa 1780 A fine George III Adam period neo-classical giltwood pier mirror, of rectangular form, the central plate surrounded by sectional border plates within beaded and foliate carved framing, the acanthus leaf cresting centre by a flaming urn, and with harebell carved pendant swags to each side. Height: 55¼ in (140 cm) Width: 27¼ in (69 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE II MAHOGANY SIDE CHAIRS

England, circa 1750 An exceptional pair of George II mahogany side chairs with outstanding carving, colour and patina. Each back with a dished paper scroll crest rail carved with leaves flanked by shaped uprights continuing to cross at the top of the vase shaped splat pierced in the gothic manner with waved uprights, the drop in seats within a bowed solid seat rail with shaped apron, the cabriole legs carved at the knees with foliage within C-scrolls and with plain shaped brackets, and supported at the front with extraordinarily well carved claw and ball feet, the plain slightly cabriole legs to the reverse with pad feet and joined by a turned stretcher. The drop-in seats covered in 18th century fabric. Height: 40¾ in (103.5 cm) Width: 23½ in (60 cm) Depth: 21¼ in (54 cm)

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Provenance The collection of the Art Institute of Chicago


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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF CHINESE EXPORT REVERSE PAINTED PIER MIRRORS

The mirror paintings Chinese, circa 1800 A fine and rare pair of large Chinese export reverse glass mirror paintings, each depicting a maiden in courtly dress in a garden landscape with a tree and birds by a lakeside. Each held in gilt gesso frames. Height: 38½ in (98 cm) Width: 14¼ in (36cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE III MAHOGANY LINEN PRESS

In the manner of Thomas Chippendale England, circa 1760 A particularly fine George III mahogany and crossbanded linen press in the manner of Thomas Chippendale. The press with ebony and boxwood stringing throughout, the moulded dentil cornice above a pair of doors enclosing five sliding trays above two short and two graduated long drawers, on bracket feet. The mahogany of exceptional colour and patina throughout. Height: 80½ in (204.5 cm) Width: 49 in (124.5 cm) Depth: 25 in (63.5 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A WILLIAM IV MAHOGANY CENTRE TABLE

England, circa 1830 A very fine and rare particularly large scale early 19th century William IV period mahogany dining or centre table. Of fine colour throughout with lovely figuring to the mahogany, the six foot (183 cm) diameter top rests on a single bold shaped and carved pedestal and triform base with scrolled feet. In the neoclassical taste. Of very rare large scale. The mahogany of superb colour. Height: 28½ in (72 cm) Diameter: 72 in (183 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A GEORGE I GILT GESSO SETTEE

Attributed to James Moore England, circa 1720 An exceptional and very rare George I carved gilt gesso settee. The frame decorated throughout with outstanding carved gilt gesso detailing, the back and seat upholstered in 18th century silk damask, the arm supports boldly outswept with scrolled terminals, the gilt gesso seat frieze further embellished with scrolling foliage and circular punchwork background, standing on elegant cabriole legs further decorated with acanthus leaves and surmounted by shells, terminating in pad feet similarly decorated. Height: 49 in (124.5 cm) Width: 80½ in (204.5 cm) Depth: 25 in (63.5 cm) Provenance Norman Adams Ltd., London Mallett & Son (Antiques) Ltd., London Private Collection, USA Literature C. Claxton Stevens and S. Whittington, 18th Century English Furniture: The Norman Adams Collection, Woodbridge, 1983, illustrated p. 27 L. Synge, Great English Furniture, London, 1991, pp. 83-84, fig. 87 C. G. E. Brunt, The Antique Dealers’ Fair, Country Life, 15 June 1951, p. 1882, fig. 2 Exhibited The Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, 1951 Norman Adams noted, ‘This settee…is one of the most unusual items of gesso furniture recorded’.

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A PAIR OF PAINTED WALL LIGHTS

Italy, circa 1880 A superb pair of polychrome wall appliques in the Baroque taste. The finely carved and painted frames in the form of acanthus leaves, each having eight scrolling candle arms, the nozzles carved in the form of flowers. Wonderful painted decoration and colours. Height: 31½ in (80 cm) Width: 23 in (58.5 cm)

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

A PAIR OF GEORGE II WALNUT SIDE CHAIRS

Attributed to Giles Grendey England, circa 1730 A very fine pair of George II walnut side chairs attributed to Giles Grendey. Each chair with a scrolled top-rail above a vaseshaped splat flanked by serpentine stiles, with drop-in needlework seats above cabriole legs with carved shells to the knees, standing on claw and ball feet With journeyman initials stamped to the back rails. The drop-in seats covered in superb red 18th century floral needlepoint retaining particularly vibrant colours. Height: 39 in (99 cm) Width: 22 ¾ in (58 cm) Depth: 22 ¾ in (58 cm)

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Provenance With Mallett, London, 7 November 1961 Private Collection, UK


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A PAIR OF GEORGE III SATINWOOD POLESCREENS

In the manner of Gillows England, circa 1790 A rare and very fine pair of George III Sheraton period satinwood and painted pole screens. Each with an adjustable oval panel with fine silk embroidered figures glazed and framed with tulipwood crossbanding. Each pole with urn finial and urn base beautifully decorated with fine foliate paintwork, supported on three splayed legs united by a platform stretcher and terminating in peg feet.

Provenance Previously with Apter-Fredericks Ltd. Comparative Literature Susan E. Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London, vol.II, p. 121 A closely related pair of pole screens with identical bases was sold Christie’s, Orchardleigh Park, 21 - 22 September 1987, lot 410.

Height: 56¼ in (143 cm) The design of these pole screens is comparable with those by Gillows which are illustrated in Gillow Furniture Designs by Lindsay Boynton, fig. 223 & 225. Susan Stuart notes correspondence in the Gillows records showing discussions with their clients about pole screens. In 1783, oval fire screens were made ‘to rise & fall wth. an oval panel coverd. with. your needlework & silk £1.3s.6d.’

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MACKINNON FINE FURNITURE

OUR SERVICES We offer a comprehensive service around all aspects of your collection of fine antique furniture. We are particularly well placed in the market to offer advice on matters including sourcing, de-acquisitioning, cataloguing, shipping, restoration, and conservation, as well as interior consultation.

SOURCING We are often asked to source specific pieces on behalf of our clients. Whether this is at auction, or from our extensive access to private collections not readily available on the market, we are ideally placed to facilitate these requirements. An 18th century Chinese Export lacquer bureau on stand sourced for a client.

RESTORATION We provide a comprehensive restoration and conservation service. Our extensive contacts with a wide range of highly skilled and specialist restorers both in the UK and the USA allow us to carry out restoration on behalf of our clients to meet their specific needs, including polishing and waxing, japanning and lacquer work, gilding, decorative painting, framing, and upholstery. Please contact us for a quote. Detail of the George II walnut shepherds crook armchair.

INTERIOR CONSULTATION We continue to work on a number of full-scale interior design projects for our clients in the UK, USA and Continental Europe. Since 2014, we have been particularly privileged to have been invited by The Blair Charitable Trust to advise on the interior schemes, layouts and the outstanding collections at Blair Castle, Perthshire, the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. A view of the Tapestry Room, Blair Castle, Perthshire.

Copyright All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Terms and Conditions All business transactions are subject to our standard terms and conditions of sale, copies of which are available upon request. Trading as Mackinnon Fine Art Consultancy Limited, Registered in England & Wales, No. 5747760. 120




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