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Lot Essay
This set of parlour armchairs was almost certainly delivered to George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (d. 1818) by the Golden Square firm of cabinet-makers Messrs. Mayhew and Ince, whose successful partnership lasted from circa 1759 to 1804. Payments from 1774-77 to Mayhew & Ince totalling £180 are recorded in the Greville accounts at Hoare's Bank, which would suggest a relatively small commission (The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, p. 595).
The armchairs, with their French-fashioned 'cabriolet' back and 'antique' fluted frame popularised by the architect Sir William Chambers' Treatise on Civil Architecture, 1759, share many distinctive characteristics associated with late 18th century élite London cabinet-makers centred around the Soho-St Martin's Lane quarter. For example, the exposed back-strut, V-cuts in the seat-rail and, somewhat distinctively for the Golden Square firm, the arm-terminal joining the seat-rail at the top of the leg. A related suite of chairs of this model, with swagged-medallion embellishment at the top of the heart-shaped back, was supplied to the 3rd Earl of Darnley for Cobham Hall, Kent by Mayhew and Ince and sold anonymously, in these Rooms 19 November 1992, lot 104 (£52,800). Another similar set of three chairs was sold by the late Mrs B. W. van Moppes, in these Rooms, 11 November 1999, lot 330 (£29,900).
The armchairs, with their French-fashioned 'cabriolet' back and 'antique' fluted frame popularised by the architect Sir William Chambers' Treatise on Civil Architecture, 1759, share many distinctive characteristics associated with late 18th century élite London cabinet-makers centred around the Soho-St Martin's Lane quarter. For example, the exposed back-strut, V-cuts in the seat-rail and, somewhat distinctively for the Golden Square firm, the arm-terminal joining the seat-rail at the top of the leg. A related suite of chairs of this model, with swagged-medallion embellishment at the top of the heart-shaped back, was supplied to the 3rd Earl of Darnley for Cobham Hall, Kent by Mayhew and Ince and sold anonymously, in these Rooms 19 November 1992, lot 104 (£52,800). Another similar set of three chairs was sold by the late Mrs B. W. van Moppes, in these Rooms, 11 November 1999, lot 330 (£29,900).