Lot 68
A George III mahogany serpentine chest, possibly by Thomas Chippendale
11 March 2015, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £9,375 inc. premium
Looking for a similar item?
Our specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
Shipping (UK)
A George III mahogany serpentine chest, possibly by Thomas Chippendale
The serpentine moulded edge top above a drawer fitted with a brushing slide and a papered blue lining, above three further long graduated drawers, on bracket feet, the remaining drawers blue papered lined, the underside with a red wash to the underside, laminated block feet and some evidence of packing nails, 94cm wide, 56cm deep, 86.5cm high (37in wide, 22in deep, 34in high).
Footnotes
The commode offered here relates to a group of documented chests thought to be by Thomas Chippendale at Dumfries House, Ayrshire with which it shares certain similarities (see Christies proposed contents sale of Dumfries House, 12-13 July 2007, lots 106,153,213,242,251, 252).
The Dumfries' chests do not appear in Chippendale's bills but are tentatively attributed to him on the grounds of certain constructional features. The features of this group of chests which are in turn displayed on the commode offered here include, the laminated blocking behind the simple bracket foot, the red wash to the underside and use of a double panelled backboard and the presence of packing nails. The argument for the Dumfries chests being by Chippendale is backed up by the existence of a linen press at the house which bears many of the features of the group of chests and for which a Chippendale bill of 1763 is thought to relate (see Christies proposed contents sale of Dumfries House, 12-13 July 2007, lot 236). The restrained swan-neck handles used on the commode offered here are also similar to those used on some of the Dumfries chests. The distinctive red wash and the use of packing nails appears on many of the pieces at Dumfries House supplied by Chippendale and not on those pieces known to have been supplied by other cabinet-makers. Although Chippendale's plainer mahogany furniture has been historically more difficult to attribute, the furniture supplied to Lord Pembroke for Pembroke House around the same time as he was supplying furniture for Dumfries and furniture supplied to Ninian Home for Paxton House have been key in this study, see C.Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, Bristol, 1978, p. 271-272.