POSSIBLY BY MAYHEW AND INCE, THIRD QUARTER 18TH CENTURY

The settee is designed in the George III French/antique fashion of the 1770s with the Nemean lion-pelt of Hercules displayed as nailed drapery across its back, while the hero's head is displayed in a spray of Roman acanthus on its seat-rail. The pelt-drapery and Hercules mask featured on a related suite of 'cabriolet' armchairs that were formerly at Bramshill, Hampshire. They might have been introduced there by Sir Denzil Cope (d.1812). The Bramshill armchairs fitted with loose cushions in the French manner, had taper-hermed front legs, like those at the back of this sofa (illustrated in situ in Country Life, 11 July 1903, p. 56 and C. Hussey, Bramshill-IV, Country Life, 23 June 1923, pp. 886-887. They were sold by Sir Anthony M. L. Cope, Bt., Sotheby's London, 27 April 1956, lot 99). A settee, of the same pattern but with tapered front legs, from the collection of Michael Henry Blount (d.1874) is at Mapledurham House, Oxfordshire and is upholstered in needlework (R.Williams, Mapledurham House, St. Ives, 1977, p. 10). Another pair of settees was advertised by Mallett at Bourdon House in Country Life, 1993. The above armchairs distinctive arched backs with hollowed base-rails, corresponds to a form adopted by the Golden Square cabinet-makers, Mayhew and Ince, such as the suite supplied in the 1780s for Chirk Castle, Wrexham (C. Hussey, 'Chirk Castle, Denbighshire, - IV', Country Life, 12 October 1951, p. 1149, fig. 4 and G. Beard (ed.), The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, p. 596).