A Dutch stained pine and limewood hall bench

The distinctive coral rockwork carving of this splendid rococo hall bench is closely related to the decoration of a similar bench, which was sold anonymously at Christie's London on 9 June 1988, lot 170. This decoration also appears on a small group of walnut furniture, comprising a cabinet and a longcase clock, which was almost certainly executed in Amsterdam. It is tempting to attribute the hall benches to the same Amsterdam workshop, but no conclusive evidence has yet come forward. (R.J. Baarsen, Nederlandse Meubelen, Zwolle, 1993, pp. 100-103.)