FURNITURE BY GILLOWS LOTS 301-310 The name 'Gillow' has been associated with the craft of furniture-making from the reign of George II until the present day. In recent years, Gillows furniture has been increasingly prized for its well-chosen timbers and fine quality of craftsmenship, as well represented by the following lots. Furniture produced in the latter part of the eighteenth century shows a predilection for elegant forms, while finely figured mahogany and robust design characterize furniture of the early nineteenth century. Gillows was established by Robert Gillow in the town of Lancaster in around 1730. The firm opened a branch in London in 1769, and remained under family supervision until the early 19th century. From this time onward, the firm continued to trade under various names until the late 20th century. Clarke in his Historical and Descriptive Account of Lancaster of 1807, observed: 'the town has long been famous for the great quantities of mahogany furniture which have been made in it for home-use and exportation....Mr Gillow's extensive ware-rooms, stored with every article of useful and ornamental mahogany furniture are well worth the attention of strangers, as they are said to be the best stocked of any in this line out of the metropolis'. Unlike other major firms of the period, Gillows never published a book of furniture pattern designs under their name, however by the third quarter of the 18th century they were one of the principal cabinetmaking firms in London. Extensive private archives covering the years 1784-1905, the so-called Estimate Sketch Books, record over twenty thousand pieces of furniture with details on labor and material costs. The practice of stamping furniture began in around 1780. Although used selectively, the stamp appears on a dressing table in the sale, lot 301. Pencil or ink inscriptions also appear on early 19th century pieces, signed by the tradesman responsible for the article. Faint pencil inscriptions appear on the same dressing table in the sale as well as on the set of X-form dining chairs (lot 304) and a unique ebony-inlaid canterbury (lot 310). Few pieces of furniture made by the firm prior to 1780 have been securely identified.

A REGENCY MAHOGANY DRESSING TABLE

BY GILLOWS, CIRCA 1800, STAMPED GILLOWS.LANCASTER AND SIGNED IN PENCIL F.BAINBRIDGE

Details

A REGENCY MAHOGANY DRESSING TABLE
By Gillows, circa 1800, stamped GILLOWS.LANCASTER and signed in pencil F.Bainbridge
The rectangular top with concave front, over a conforming hollow-fronted base, with a long central frieze drawer, flanked by two short drawers to each side, on reeded tapering legs and brass caps and casters, stamped GILLOWS.LANCASTER three times, and inscribed in pencil J.Bainbridge twice, previously with a three-quarter gallery where now inlaid
32in. (81cm.) high, 43½in. (111cm.) wide, 23in. (58cm.) deep

Lot Essay

This hollow-fronted dressing-table has Egyptian reeded legs in the antique manner popularised by Thomas Hope's Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, London, 1807 and George Smith's Collection of Designs for Household Furniture, London, 1808. The general pattern for this table features in the 1806 Estimate Sketch Book, while a related a example appears in their 1811 Account Book as 'A Handsome Mahogany five drawer dressing Table with rim and on turned reeded legs 6.16.6'. 'Gillows.Lancaster' is stamped on a related table supplied in 1811 to Parlington Hall, Aberford (illustrated in C. Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, London, 1978, vol. II, p. 380, cat. no. 500) and six of this form were supplied in 1813 to the 2nd Baron Bolton for Hackwood Park, Hampshire, four of which were sold from there, Christie's house sale, 20-22 April 1998, lots 356, 358, 359 and 360. A further table was sold, the Property of a Gentleman, Christie's London, 16 September 1999, lot 138 (£6,900).

The stamp GILLOWS.LANCASTER dates this piece to about 1800, when this particular stamp was in use. A dressing table supplied by Gillows for Tatton Park, Cheshire in around 1811-1812 is signed by the same craftsman F.Bainbridge under the drawer (see N. Goodison and J. Hardy, 'Gillows at Tatton Park', Furniture History, 1970, pl.24B).

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