.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
THE PROVENANCE
This pair of chairs is part of a set of ten sold in the 1946 house sale at Ettington Park, where it was bought by the present owner's family. Another pair from the set was sold in these Rooms, 4 July 2002, lot 20 (£259,650). Part of the set can almost certainly be identified with the '8 Elbow Chairs with Carved Legs & claws in crimson velvet' listed in the Drawing Room in the 1882 probate inventory of E.P. Shirley Esq (Warwickshire RO).
The set would have been supplied to the Hon. George Shirley, (1705-1785), who altered the 15th and 16th century house at Ettington extensively from circa 1740. He was the eldest son of the second marriage of the 1st Earl Ferrers (1650-1717), from whom he inherited the ancient Shirley estate at Ettington. Although George Shirley's alterations are now camouflaged by the high Victorian Gothic of 1858-62, there were in fact considerable alterations from circa 1740. Several chimneypieces and ceilings survive from this period.
GILES GRENDEY AND THIS MODEL OF CHAIR
This chair is of the same model as a celebrated example from the collection of Percival D. Griffiths at Sandridgebury, Hertfordshire, (Symonds, loc. cit.). The latter chair was part of the Griffiths sale, in these Rooms, 11 May 1939, lot 285 and again 7 April 1983, lot 155.
This armchair can be firmly attributed to the Clerkenwell workshop of Giles Grendey, who lived for an astonishingly long time - 1693-1780. The attribution of the present pair to Grendey is primarily based on a labelled set from Gunton Park, Norfolk, and which differs only in having scrolled rather than paw feet (C. Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840, London, 1996, p. 243, fig. 437). The attribution to Grendey's workshop is strengthened by the presence of the stamp of 'WH', very probably for William House, employed by Grendey from 14 April 1747 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, eds., Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, pp. 371-372).
A number of chairs from Grendey's workshop bear the stamp of his journeymen. A pair of side chairs of a known Grendey model also stamped 'WH' were sold Christie's New York, 9 October 1993, lot 354. An armchair of precisely the same model as the present pair, and also stamped 'WH' was sold Christie's New York, 13 April 2000, lot 188 ($95,000).
OTHER CHAIRS OF THIS MODEL
It is impossible to be certain whether all the chairs of this model had flowerheads on the bottom arm-support terminals, as well as the upper. Some retain the lower flowerheads but others are upholstered over and may have originally had them.
Other examples of library chairs include:
1. The Percival Griffiths chair, referred to above, and illustrated in Symonds, loc.cit.
2. The Ward chair illustrated in Cescinsky, Connoisseur, loc. cit.
3. A pair in the collection of Henry Hirsch Esq., sold in these Rooms, 22 March 1934, lot 84.
4. One illustrated in Cescinsky, Eighteenth Century, loc. cit,
5. A pair from the collection of Henry Nyburg, Esq., sold Sotheby's London, 2 December 1966, lot 154.
6. A pair, previously with Partridge, sold Sotheby's New York, 29 October 1988, lot 382 ($220,000).
7. A pair sold Christie's New York, 27 January 1990, lot 105 ($264,000).
8. A single chair sold Christie's New York, 13 April 2000, lot 188 ($110,500)
9. A chair from the collection of Dr Frank Crozer Knowles, upholstered very similarly to Griffiths's chair (no. 1 above), and possibly once associated with it, sold Christie's New York, 22 October 1988, lot 234, and resold Christie's New York, 18 October 2001, lot 232 ($70,500).
10. A pair of chairs from the same set as the present pair, sold by the same vendor, in these Rooms, 4 July 2002, lot 20 (£259,650).
This pair of chairs is part of a set of ten sold in the 1946 house sale at Ettington Park, where it was bought by the present owner's family. Another pair from the set was sold in these Rooms, 4 July 2002, lot 20 (£259,650). Part of the set can almost certainly be identified with the '8 Elbow Chairs with Carved Legs & claws in crimson velvet' listed in the Drawing Room in the 1882 probate inventory of E.P. Shirley Esq (Warwickshire RO).
The set would have been supplied to the Hon. George Shirley, (1705-1785), who altered the 15th and 16th century house at Ettington extensively from circa 1740. He was the eldest son of the second marriage of the 1st Earl Ferrers (1650-1717), from whom he inherited the ancient Shirley estate at Ettington. Although George Shirley's alterations are now camouflaged by the high Victorian Gothic of 1858-62, there were in fact considerable alterations from circa 1740. Several chimneypieces and ceilings survive from this period.
GILES GRENDEY AND THIS MODEL OF CHAIR
This chair is of the same model as a celebrated example from the collection of Percival D. Griffiths at Sandridgebury, Hertfordshire, (Symonds, loc. cit.). The latter chair was part of the Griffiths sale, in these Rooms, 11 May 1939, lot 285 and again 7 April 1983, lot 155.
This armchair can be firmly attributed to the Clerkenwell workshop of Giles Grendey, who lived for an astonishingly long time - 1693-1780. The attribution of the present pair to Grendey is primarily based on a labelled set from Gunton Park, Norfolk, and which differs only in having scrolled rather than paw feet (C. Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840, London, 1996, p. 243, fig. 437). The attribution to Grendey's workshop is strengthened by the presence of the stamp of 'WH', very probably for William House, employed by Grendey from 14 April 1747 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, eds., Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, pp. 371-372).
A number of chairs from Grendey's workshop bear the stamp of his journeymen. A pair of side chairs of a known Grendey model also stamped 'WH' were sold Christie's New York, 9 October 1993, lot 354. An armchair of precisely the same model as the present pair, and also stamped 'WH' was sold Christie's New York, 13 April 2000, lot 188 ($95,000).
OTHER CHAIRS OF THIS MODEL
It is impossible to be certain whether all the chairs of this model had flowerheads on the bottom arm-support terminals, as well as the upper. Some retain the lower flowerheads but others are upholstered over and may have originally had them.
Other examples of library chairs include:
1. The Percival Griffiths chair, referred to above, and illustrated in Symonds, loc.cit.
2. The Ward chair illustrated in Cescinsky, Connoisseur, loc. cit.
3. A pair in the collection of Henry Hirsch Esq., sold in these Rooms, 22 March 1934, lot 84.
4. One illustrated in Cescinsky, Eighteenth Century, loc. cit,
5. A pair from the collection of Henry Nyburg, Esq., sold Sotheby's London, 2 December 1966, lot 154.
6. A pair, previously with Partridge, sold Sotheby's New York, 29 October 1988, lot 382 ($220,000).
7. A pair sold Christie's New York, 27 January 1990, lot 105 ($264,000).
8. A single chair sold Christie's New York, 13 April 2000, lot 188 ($110,500)
9. A chair from the collection of Dr Frank Crozer Knowles, upholstered very similarly to Griffiths's chair (no. 1 above), and possibly once associated with it, sold Christie's New York, 22 October 1988, lot 234, and resold Christie's New York, 18 October 2001, lot 232 ($70,500).
10. A pair of chairs from the same set as the present pair, sold by the same vendor, in these Rooms, 4 July 2002, lot 20 (£259,650).