A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILT-LACQUERED BRASS-MOUNTED HAREWOOD, SATINWOOD AND MARQUETRY SIDE TABLES, each with semi-elliptical top inlaid with central laurel-bordered half-medallion inlaid with interlaced tracery, the segmentally-veneered top inlaid with anthemia and curved ribbon-tied reed bands, the reserves inlaid with acanthus-scrolls, crossbanded with ribbon-and-rosette on a mahogany ground and with tulipwood, with ribbon-scroll border, the frieze inlaid with acanthus scrolls centred by griffins flanking a draped urn, on canted square tapering legs inlaid with ribbon and rosette and with fluted angles, headed by pinched collars and urns, on octagonal waisted brass feet, restorations, the tops and their carcase relaid onto mahogany, the back edges with re-veneered strip, one painted 4417 on the back rail, with typewritten labels PHILLIPS OF HITCHIN LTD.

Details

A PAIR OF GEORGE III GILT-LACQUERED BRASS-MOUNTED HAREWOOD, SATINWOOD AND MARQUETRY SIDE TABLES, each with semi-elliptical top inlaid with central laurel-bordered half-medallion inlaid with interlaced tracery, the segmentally-veneered top inlaid with anthemia and curved ribbon-tied reed bands, the reserves inlaid with acanthus-scrolls, crossbanded with ribbon-and-rosette on a mahogany ground and with tulipwood, with ribbon-scroll border, the frieze inlaid with acanthus scrolls centred by griffins flanking a draped urn, on canted square tapering legs inlaid with ribbon and rosette and with fluted angles, headed by pinched collars and urns, on octagonal waisted brass feet, restorations, the tops and their carcase relaid onto mahogany, the back edges with re-veneered strip, one painted 4417 on the back rail, with typewritten labels PHILLIPS OF HITCHIN LTD.
56½in. (143.5cm.) wide; 35in. (88.5cm.) high; 25¼in. (64cm.) deep (2)

Provenance

The late Cornelius F. Kelley, Manhasset, Long Island, sold Parke Bernet, New York, 9-11 January 1958, lots 511-512 ($3,000 for both lots)
Bought from Phillips of Hitchin at the Antique Dealers' Fair, Grosvenor House, 1961, and invoiced on 15 June for #7,650

Literature

Connoisseur, February 1958, p. 121, 'International Saleroom'

Lot Essay

A pair of painted side tables of similar form and using a related chain decoration around the edge of the top are illustrated in H. Cescinsky, English Furniture of the Eighteenth Century, London, n.d. (1909), vol. III, p. 35, fig. 22. They were subsequently sold from the collection of Mrs. John E. Rovensky, Parke Bernet, New York, 15-19 January 1959, lots 968-969 and most recently, Christie's New York, 19 April 1986, lot 155.
A cherrywood card-table in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, is inlaid with the same frieze decoration of griffins flanking an urn amidst foliate scrolls (see: R. Edwards and P. Macquoid, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, rev. ed., 1954, vol. III, p. 201, fig. 36

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