Lot Essay
Pierre Garnier, maître in 1742
The brand EHB is that of Edward Holmes Baldock (1777-1845), the celebrated London-based dealer in porcelain and furniture. Among his distinguished list of clients were George IV, the Duke of Northumberland, the Duke of Buccleuch and William Beckford. He was appointed Purveyor of China, Earthenware and Glass to William IV from 1832-37 and Purveyor of China to Queen Victoria from 1838-45. He handled many of the most important objects to appear on the market, including the pair of cabinets made by Cucci for Louis XIV, sold in 1824 to the Duke of Northumberland. Like the marchands-merciers of the eighteenth century, he appears to have designed or modified furniture to client's orders, often embellishing plainer pieces with more elaborate porcelain or ormolu mounts.
The distinctive gadrooned skirt and spiral-twist feet of this secretaire appear on other pieces by Garnier, including an example sold at Couturier-Nicolay, Paris, 9 December 1992, lot 95, and a Médailler in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.
The brand EHB is that of Edward Holmes Baldock (1777-1845), the celebrated London-based dealer in porcelain and furniture. Among his distinguished list of clients were George IV, the Duke of Northumberland, the Duke of Buccleuch and William Beckford. He was appointed Purveyor of China, Earthenware and Glass to William IV from 1832-37 and Purveyor of China to Queen Victoria from 1838-45. He handled many of the most important objects to appear on the market, including the pair of cabinets made by Cucci for Louis XIV, sold in 1824 to the Duke of Northumberland. Like the marchands-merciers of the eighteenth century, he appears to have designed or modified furniture to client's orders, often embellishing plainer pieces with more elaborate porcelain or ormolu mounts.
The distinctive gadrooned skirt and spiral-twist feet of this secretaire appear on other pieces by Garnier, including an example sold at Couturier-Nicolay, Paris, 9 December 1992, lot 95, and a Médailler in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.