Lot 13
A leather six-fold screen, using 18th century leather polychrome painted panels of scenes after Watteau of the fete gallante
11 March 2015, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£3,000 - £4,000
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A leather six-fold screen, using 18th century leather polychrome painted panels of scenes after Watteau of the fete gallante
On a gilded ground, each fold with three panels outlined with nailed leather borders, the panels variously depicting groups of revelling figures including harlequins, Pulchinello, Pantalone and Columbina amongst neo-classical garden furniture, the reverse panels decorated with various fruits and plants, each panel 55cm wide, 213cm high (21 1/2in wide, 83 1/2in high).
Footnotes
A comparable screen is recorded in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (see Ralph Edwards & Percy Macquoid, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 1954, rev. ed., 3 vols., vol III, p. 60, fig. 12. A related screen forms part of the collection at Dumfries House, Ayrshire and formed part of Christie's proposed contents sale in 2007, lot 11.
The St Paul's Churchyard region of London was the principal area where screens of this kind were produced during the mid-18th century. A possible candidate for the manufacture of the present lot is Robert Halford who had set-up premises at the Golden Lion & Ball by the early 1750s. He advertised a variety of screens of gilt leather 'with great choice of Patterns' (see E. Koldeweij, The Furniture History Society Journal, 'Gilt Leather Hangings in Chinoiserie and Other Styles: An English Speciality', 2000, vol. XXXV1, p.75)