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Lot Essay
The form of these remarkable marquetry flower stands is derived from Antiquity, a style revived from 1760 by the leader of the first phase of neo-classicism in England and Scotland, the architect-designer, Robert Adam (d.1792). They relate to designs by Adam for torchères, in particular a drawing for a 'Tripod for the first room at Sir Abraham Hume's in Hill Street' (Sir John Soane's Museum, volume 17, no. 65). The present stands were almost certainly executed by the Golden Square cabinet-makers John Mayhew (d.1811) and William Ince (d.1804), authors of The Universal System of Household Furniture (1762). From the early 1760s to 80s the partners collaborated with Adam on a number of important commissions including Coventry House, London, Croome Court, Worcestershire and Derby House, London. The attribution is based in part on the highly distinctive acanthus frond marquetry encircling these stands, which is almost identical to that found on a commode ascribed to Mayhew and Ince and now in the collection of the Lady Lever Art Gallery (Lucy Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, p.195, no.22). In 1954, the furniture historians, Ralph Edwards and Percy Macquoid, erroneously described this commode as being en suite with these stands at Home House, a provenance that has since been questioned with respect to the commode (R. Edwards and P. Macquoid, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, rev. ed. 1954, vol. III, p.155, fig.5; Lucy Wood, p.cit., p.198, note 5).
Although documentation for the partnership is scarce, Mayhew and Ince appear to have favoured rams' head stands as marquetry motifs on their furniture including a pedestal supplied to Lord Kerry in 1770 and on the side panels of a commode for the 1st Earl of Caledon (Charles Cator, 'The Earl of Kerry and Mayhew and Ince: The Idlest Ostentation', Furniture History, 2009, p.117, fig.25; Hugh Roberts, 'Unequall'd Elegance: Mayhew and Ince's Furniture for James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon', Furniture History, 1990, p.33, 3). An apparently identical pair of stands but lacking the ivory rams' heads, which have been replaced with ormolu mounts in the 19th century, was sold at Christie's King Street, 23 June 1983, lot 46 (£2,808, including premium), and these, with the present lot, were almost certainly conceived as a set of four. A stand described as 'A very neat carved Stand for basin and ewer, of Redwood and Varnished' supplied by Mayhew and Ince to the 6th Earl of Coventry in 1767 for either Coventry House or Croome Court represents an interesting comparison with this set of four (see Anthony Coleridge, 'English Furniture supplied for Croome Court', Apollo, February 2000, p.10, figs. 3 and 5). The purpose of the former is made explicit in the description, and the stand, basin and ewer are photograped as a set (ibid fig.3). The purpose of the present lot (and the two ormolu-mounted companions) is not certain but the deliberately shaped tiers imply that they were intended for a set of footed porcelain vases.
This stand was modeled on a design by Adam, which in turn was inspired by an engraving of La Vertueuse Athénienne by P. Filipart published in 1765 after a painting by Joseph Vien of 1763.
Adam inspired other contemporary cabinet-makers to execute rams' head stands such as Thomas Chippendale the Younger (d.1822) for Stourhead in the 1770s who also published some of his designs in a pattern book, Sketches of Ornament (1779) (Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol.II, figs. 28-33).There are related torcheres in the Drawing Room at Osterley Park, and Gillows created a similar design, although undated but probably circa 1790-95, for a tripod candlestand (Lindsay Boynton, Gillow Furniture Designs 1760-1800, London, 1995, fig. 217).
A NABOB COMMISSION?
The ivory mounts, which are highly unusual in English furniture of this period, are suggestive of Indian craftsmanship. Carved ivory animal heads featured on 18th century Anglo-Indian chairs, thrones and stools (Amin Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, p.166, fig.69 and p.241, no.80), and it is highly probable that the present stands were commissioned by one of Mayhew and Ince's nabob clients who had Indian connections and exotic taste, characters such as Warren Hastings (d.1818), former Governor General of Bengal, at Daylesford, Gloucestershire, Richard Benyon, Governor of Fort St. George (1734-44) at Englefield House, Berkshire, or Thomas Rumbold, Bt. (d.1791), at Woodhall.
SAMUEL COURTAULD IV
These stands were in the collection of the industrialist Samuel Courtauld IV (d.1947) patron of the arts and founder of the Courtauld Institute, who, from 1927-32, held the lease on Home House, 20 Portman Square, London, the property which had been built for Elizabeth, Dowager Countess of Home. This neo-classical town house with its magnificent interiors designed by Robert Adam would have been an appropriate setting in which to display these fine stands. Home House was described in the 18th century by Matthew Boulton as 'a masterly example of Robert Adam's work amazing in the complexity of its detail conducted with a rare skill' (Christopher Hussey and Arthur Oswald, Home House No. 20 Portman Square, London, 1934, p.18) and Courtauld significantly restored the decoration, replacing some essential features of the 18th Century setting with insight and taste. He often referred to the original Adam designs at the Soane Museum, for example in the restitution of the Corinthian pilasters decorated with rams' head ornamentation in the room that housed the present stands in 1932 (ibid., p.19).
Although documentation for the partnership is scarce, Mayhew and Ince appear to have favoured rams' head stands as marquetry motifs on their furniture including a pedestal supplied to Lord Kerry in 1770 and on the side panels of a commode for the 1st Earl of Caledon (Charles Cator, 'The Earl of Kerry and Mayhew and Ince: The Idlest Ostentation', Furniture History, 2009, p.117, fig.25; Hugh Roberts, 'Unequall'd Elegance: Mayhew and Ince's Furniture for James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon', Furniture History, 1990, p.33, 3). An apparently identical pair of stands but lacking the ivory rams' heads, which have been replaced with ormolu mounts in the 19th century, was sold at Christie's King Street, 23 June 1983, lot 46 (£2,808, including premium), and these, with the present lot, were almost certainly conceived as a set of four. A stand described as 'A very neat carved Stand for basin and ewer, of Redwood and Varnished' supplied by Mayhew and Ince to the 6th Earl of Coventry in 1767 for either Coventry House or Croome Court represents an interesting comparison with this set of four (see Anthony Coleridge, 'English Furniture supplied for Croome Court', Apollo, February 2000, p.10, figs. 3 and 5). The purpose of the former is made explicit in the description, and the stand, basin and ewer are photograped as a set (ibid fig.3). The purpose of the present lot (and the two ormolu-mounted companions) is not certain but the deliberately shaped tiers imply that they were intended for a set of footed porcelain vases.
This stand was modeled on a design by Adam, which in turn was inspired by an engraving of La Vertueuse Athénienne by P. Filipart published in 1765 after a painting by Joseph Vien of 1763.
Adam inspired other contemporary cabinet-makers to execute rams' head stands such as Thomas Chippendale the Younger (d.1822) for Stourhead in the 1770s who also published some of his designs in a pattern book, Sketches of Ornament (1779) (Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol.II, figs. 28-33).There are related torcheres in the Drawing Room at Osterley Park, and Gillows created a similar design, although undated but probably circa 1790-95, for a tripod candlestand (Lindsay Boynton, Gillow Furniture Designs 1760-1800, London, 1995, fig. 217).
A NABOB COMMISSION?
The ivory mounts, which are highly unusual in English furniture of this period, are suggestive of Indian craftsmanship. Carved ivory animal heads featured on 18th century Anglo-Indian chairs, thrones and stools (Amin Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, p.166, fig.69 and p.241, no.80), and it is highly probable that the present stands were commissioned by one of Mayhew and Ince's nabob clients who had Indian connections and exotic taste, characters such as Warren Hastings (d.1818), former Governor General of Bengal, at Daylesford, Gloucestershire, Richard Benyon, Governor of Fort St. George (1734-44) at Englefield House, Berkshire, or Thomas Rumbold, Bt. (d.1791), at Woodhall.
SAMUEL COURTAULD IV
These stands were in the collection of the industrialist Samuel Courtauld IV (d.1947) patron of the arts and founder of the Courtauld Institute, who, from 1927-32, held the lease on Home House, 20 Portman Square, London, the property which had been built for Elizabeth, Dowager Countess of Home. This neo-classical town house with its magnificent interiors designed by Robert Adam would have been an appropriate setting in which to display these fine stands. Home House was described in the 18th century by Matthew Boulton as 'a masterly example of Robert Adam's work amazing in the complexity of its detail conducted with a rare skill' (Christopher Hussey and Arthur Oswald, Home House No. 20 Portman Square, London, 1934, p.18) and Courtauld significantly restored the decoration, replacing some essential features of the 18th Century setting with insight and taste. He often referred to the original Adam designs at the Soane Museum, for example in the restitution of the Corinthian pilasters decorated with rams' head ornamentation in the room that housed the present stands in 1932 (ibid., p.19).