These bookcases form part of a small group which display features that are characteristic of the work of Mayhew and Ince. The exotic vase-shaped glazing bars are unique to the present lot but they share the very large urns in the cresting with a bookcase formerly in the collection of Jules C.Stein that was sold, Christie's New York, 28 January 1989, lot 199 and another that was sold anonymously, Christie's New York, 27 January 1990, lot 185.
The friezes of both these bookcases were carved with swags hung from ribbon-ties of a very similar type to those on the a Mayhew and Ince commode sold from Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland, in these Rooms, 6 July 1989, lot 147. Both the New York bookcases had bands of guilloche carving at the top of the lower sections that appear in marquetry on a pair of satinwood cabinets that are possibly by Mayhew and Ince and are at Broadlands, Hampshire (see: H.Roberts, 'The Ince and Mayhew Connection, Furniture at Broadlands, Hampshire - I', Country Life, 29 January 1981, p.287, fig.7) The same guilloche appears on a pier glass in the Drawing Room at Broadlands that is definitely by the firm and which is surmounted by a swag-draped urn with a fluted band. This is similar to that on the present lot and the two other bookcases from the group (ibid., p.288, fig.1)
The large scale urns, both in the glazing and the cresting are perhaps the most typical Mayhew motifs. Their marquetry furniture is also characterised by the use of big neo-classical motifs, often copied from engravings.