CIRCA 1790

WHILE THE DESIGN OF THIS TABLE APPEARS TO BE UNIQUE, CERTAIN DESIGN FEATURES CAN BE FOUND ON FURNITURE SUPPLIED BY THE BERKELEY SQUARE PARTNERSHIP OF JOHN MAYHEW AND WILLIAM INCE. CARVED DETAILS SUCH AS THE TAPERING FLUTED SUPPORTS, BEADING, LONG LEAVES AND SPIRAL-FLUTED AND SHAPED FEET FEATURE ON A COMMODE WHICH WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY SUPPLIED BY THE FIRM TO THE 9TH EARL OF WINCHILSEA FOR BURLEY-ON-THE-HILL (ILLUSTRATED IN R. EDWARDS, ED., THE DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH FURNITURE, REV.EDN., LONDON, 1954, VOL.II, FIG.56), SOLD CHRISTIE'S LONDON, 6 JULY 1989, LOT 147. SUBSTANTIAL PAYMENTS TO THE FIRM AMOUNTING TO OVER £2,600 ARE RECORDED FROM 1772 TO 1776 (LEICESTER RECORD OFFICE). SUNFLOWER PATERAE WITH BEADED SURROUNDS AND FLUTED TAPERING LEGS APPEAR ON FURNITURE SUPPLIED FOR THE 4TH DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH IN CIRCA 1775 (SEE H. ROBERTS, '"NICELY FITTED UP": FURNITURE FOR THE 4TH DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, FURNITURE HISTORY, 1994, P.138, FIG. 28).

THE TABLE'S ELEGANT LEGS, WITH HERM-TAPERED COLUMNS CAPPED BY SPIRALLED FLUTES, CORRESPOND TO A PATTERN IN THE FRENCH/ANTIQUE FASHION PUBLISHED IN THOMAS SHERATON'S, THE CABINET-MAKER AND UPHOLSTERER'S DRAWING BOOK, 1793 (PT. III, PL. 35).