Lot Essay
The details of this multi-purpose drawing-room teapoy correspond exactly to the oak furniture almost certainly supplied by George Bullock about 1815 to Don Pedro de Souza e Holstein, 1st Duke of Palmella (d.1850), for his London residence as Portugese ambassador to the court of the Prince Regent, later King George IV (d.1830). The comparison is so close that it is possible to speculate that this teapoy originally formed part of the suite.
A large part of the Palmella suite was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 25 June 1987, lots 171-181, and it is discussed by Lucy Wood in 'George Bullock and the Duke of Palmella', The National Art Collections Fund Review, 1988, pp. 96-100. The banding on the top of the teapoy corresponds to the apron ornament of the Palmella sofas (ibid., p. 98, pl. 3) and the apron edging used here is repeated on the Palmella window-seats (ibid., p. 100, pl. 7). They also share the very fine fluting at the top of each leg
A large part of the Palmella suite was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 25 June 1987, lots 171-181, and it is discussed by Lucy Wood in 'George Bullock and the Duke of Palmella', The National Art Collections Fund Review, 1988, pp. 96-100. The banding on the top of the teapoy corresponds to the apron ornament of the Palmella sofas (ibid., p. 98, pl. 3) and the apron edging used here is repeated on the Palmella window-seats (ibid., p. 100, pl. 7). They also share the very fine fluting at the top of each leg