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Lot Essay
DESIGNED IN THE CHINESE MANNER EXPOUNDED BY SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS IN HIS DESIGNS FOR CHINESE BUILDINGS, FURNITURE, DRESSES, MACHINES AND UTENSILS OF 1757 AND POPULARISED BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE IN THE GENTLEMAN AND CABINET-MAKERS DIRECTORS OF 1754-63, THIS CELEBRATED BUREAU CABINET HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH BOTH GEORGE, PRINCE OF WALES, LATER KING GEORGE III AND THE ROYAL CABINET-MAKER, WILLIAM VILE, WHO, TOGETHER WITH HIS PARTNER WILLIAM HALLET, WAS GRANTED THE ROYAL WARRANT IN JANUARY 1761. THIS ASSOCIATION IS UNDOUBTEDLY A RESULT OF THE PRINCE OF WALES' PLUMED BADGE THAT CENTRES THE CORNICE; WHILST THIS MOTIF CERTAINLY BECAME A DECORATIVE EMBLEM IN THE LATER 1780'S AND 1790'S, AS CAN BE SEEN ON THE CLOSELY RELATED BADGE CARVED ON THE SUITE OF SEAT-FURNITURE SUPPLIED BY MESSRS. INCE AND MAYHEW TO THE WESTMINSTER FIRE OFFICE IN 1792 (H. ROBERTS, 'MAYHEW AND INCE AND THE WESTMINSTER FIRE OFFICE', FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY JOURNAL, 1993, FIG.4), IN THE MID-EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IT WOULD ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY POINT TO A ROYAL PROVENANCE. THIS REPUTED ROYAL PROVENANCE AND ATTRIBUTION TO VILE, HOWEVER, CAN ONLY BE TREATED LIGHTLY WITHOUT FURTHER DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
OF ALMOST UNIQUE FORM, PERHAPS THE CLOSEST PARALLEL CAN BE DRAWN WITH THE BUREAU ILLUSTRATED IN A. COLERIDGE, CHIPPENDALE FURNITURE, LONDON, 1968, NO. 36, P.177. THIS LATTER BUREAU, WHICH IS ELABORATELY BRASS-INLAID IN THE MANNER OF JOHN CHANNON, A PUPIL OF HALLETT'S, WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY SUPPLIED TO SCONE PALACE, PERTHSHIRE, WHERE IT REMAINS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE EARL OF MANSFIELD. INTERESTINGLY, THIS ALSO DISPLAYS A PIERCED FRET CORNICE AND ENGAGED COLUMNS TO BOTH UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS - A FEATURE MORE USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH NORTH COUNTRY WORKSHOPS IN VIEW OF THE STYLISTIC SIMILARITY TO CLOCK-CASES EXECUTED IN THE REGION.
WHILST THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE SCHIESZLER BUREAU CABINET REMAINS TANTALISINGLY UNIDENTIFIED, THE DISTINCTIVE AND UNUSUAL RELIEF-CARVED FRET DECORATION THAT EMBELLISHES THE UPPER SECTION IS SHARED IN CHARACTER ON A SUITE OF FURNITURE SUPPLIED TO THE 4TH DUKE OF BEAUFORT (D.1759) FOR BADMINTON HOUSE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. THIS INCLUDES A GAMES TABLE AND BREAKFRONTED CHINA CABINET, BOTH ILLUSTRATED IN R. EDWARDS AND M. JOURDAIN, OP. CIT., REV. ED., 1962, FIGS 117 AND 124, WHICH WERE PROBABLY SUPPLIED SHORTLY AFTER THE CHINESE BEDROOM'S FURNISHINGS, WHICH WERE DELIVERED BY WILLIAM AND JOHN LINNELL BETWEEN 1752 AND 1755.
OF ALMOST UNIQUE FORM, PERHAPS THE CLOSEST PARALLEL CAN BE DRAWN WITH THE BUREAU ILLUSTRATED IN A. COLERIDGE, CHIPPENDALE FURNITURE, LONDON, 1968, NO. 36, P.177. THIS LATTER BUREAU, WHICH IS ELABORATELY BRASS-INLAID IN THE MANNER OF JOHN CHANNON, A PUPIL OF HALLETT'S, WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY SUPPLIED TO SCONE PALACE, PERTHSHIRE, WHERE IT REMAINS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE EARL OF MANSFIELD. INTERESTINGLY, THIS ALSO DISPLAYS A PIERCED FRET CORNICE AND ENGAGED COLUMNS TO BOTH UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS - A FEATURE MORE USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH NORTH COUNTRY WORKSHOPS IN VIEW OF THE STYLISTIC SIMILARITY TO CLOCK-CASES EXECUTED IN THE REGION.
WHILST THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE SCHIESZLER BUREAU CABINET REMAINS TANTALISINGLY UNIDENTIFIED, THE DISTINCTIVE AND UNUSUAL RELIEF-CARVED FRET DECORATION THAT EMBELLISHES THE UPPER SECTION IS SHARED IN CHARACTER ON A SUITE OF FURNITURE SUPPLIED TO THE 4TH DUKE OF BEAUFORT (D.1759) FOR BADMINTON HOUSE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. THIS INCLUDES A GAMES TABLE AND BREAKFRONTED CHINA CABINET, BOTH ILLUSTRATED IN R. EDWARDS AND M. JOURDAIN, OP. CIT., REV. ED., 1962, FIGS 117 AND 124, WHICH WERE PROBABLY SUPPLIED SHORTLY AFTER THE CHINESE BEDROOM'S FURNISHINGS, WHICH WERE DELIVERED BY WILLIAM AND JOHN LINNELL BETWEEN 1752 AND 1755.