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Lot Essay
This wine-cooler belongs to a distinguished group attributed to Samuel Norman of Soho, London; all conform to the same basic pattern but vary in details, particularly the mounts. Among the closest parallels are the pair supplied to Sir Lawrence Dundas by Samuel Norman circa 1764 (A. Coleridge, 'Sir Lawrence Dundas and Chippendale', Apollo, September 1967, p. 165, fig. 8). Sold by the Marquess of Zetland from 19 Arlington Street at Christie's sale, 26 April 1934, lot 76, either these (or an almost identical example) are photographed in situ at 19 Arlington Street in 1902 (John Cornforth, London Interiors, London, 2000, p. 56 - 57). They were sold again from the estate of the Late Edmund Vestey, Sotheby's, London, 4 June 2008, lot 185 (£1,049,285 including premium).
A similar cistern and stand, which like the present lot has legs that lack either carving or mounts (save for the edge chutes), has been identified with the furniture supplied by Norman in the mid-1760s to Robert, 4th Earl of Holdernesse (d.1778) for Hornby Castle, Yorkshire; it is now in The Gerstenfeld Collection (E. Lennox-Boyd, ed., Masterpieces of English Furniture: The Gerstenfeld Collection, London, 1998, p. 225, cat. no. 66). It is just visible in situ in the Great Hall at Hornby in a Country Life photograph of 1906, standing in a window bay.
Another, with the same distinctive features, was acquired by Sir Edward Guinness, 1st Bt. and 1st Earl of Iveagh (d.1927), Elveden Hall, Norfolk, later sold by the 3rd Earl of Iveagh, Christie's house sale, Elveden Hall, 21 - 24 May 1984, lot 497 (£24,840). It was sold again anonymously Christie's, London, 30 November 2000, lot 34 (£52,875 including premium).
A third example, but with a lion mask in place of the ram's mask and shell-carved legs, was in the collection of H.J. (Jim) Joel at Childwick Bury, Hertfordshire. It was later acquired by Simon Sainsbury whose collection was sold after his death, Christie's, London, 18 June 2008, lot 106 (£181,250 including premium).
SAMUEL NORMAN
In 1760 the eminent carver and gilder Samuel Norman had taken over the Sutton Street, Soho, premises, as well as the stock in trade of brass work of Paul Saunders (d.1771). Five years earlier he had married Ann Whittle, daughter of the cabinet-maker James Whittle and so the two men had become business partners. Norman was appointed 'Master Carver in wood' to George III's Board of Works in 1763, and in that same year was introduced to Sir Lawrence Dundas by his architect Robert Adam (d.1792) (P.A. Kirkham, 'Samuel Norman', Burlington Magazine, October 1969, pp. 501 - 513). However, having enjoyed a rapid rise to the upper echelons of the London trade, his career was sadly short-lived, no major mork by him is known after 1766 and he was declared bankrupt in 1767 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660 - 1840, Leeds, 1986, pp. 651 - 653).
A similar cistern and stand, which like the present lot has legs that lack either carving or mounts (save for the edge chutes), has been identified with the furniture supplied by Norman in the mid-1760s to Robert, 4th Earl of Holdernesse (d.1778) for Hornby Castle, Yorkshire; it is now in The Gerstenfeld Collection (E. Lennox-Boyd, ed., Masterpieces of English Furniture: The Gerstenfeld Collection, London, 1998, p. 225, cat. no. 66). It is just visible in situ in the Great Hall at Hornby in a Country Life photograph of 1906, standing in a window bay.
Another, with the same distinctive features, was acquired by Sir Edward Guinness, 1st Bt. and 1st Earl of Iveagh (d.1927), Elveden Hall, Norfolk, later sold by the 3rd Earl of Iveagh, Christie's house sale, Elveden Hall, 21 - 24 May 1984, lot 497 (£24,840). It was sold again anonymously Christie's, London, 30 November 2000, lot 34 (£52,875 including premium).
A third example, but with a lion mask in place of the ram's mask and shell-carved legs, was in the collection of H.J. (Jim) Joel at Childwick Bury, Hertfordshire. It was later acquired by Simon Sainsbury whose collection was sold after his death, Christie's, London, 18 June 2008, lot 106 (£181,250 including premium).
SAMUEL NORMAN
In 1760 the eminent carver and gilder Samuel Norman had taken over the Sutton Street, Soho, premises, as well as the stock in trade of brass work of Paul Saunders (d.1771). Five years earlier he had married Ann Whittle, daughter of the cabinet-maker James Whittle and so the two men had become business partners. Norman was appointed 'Master Carver in wood' to George III's Board of Works in 1763, and in that same year was introduced to Sir Lawrence Dundas by his architect Robert Adam (d.1792) (P.A. Kirkham, 'Samuel Norman', Burlington Magazine, October 1969, pp. 501 - 513). However, having enjoyed a rapid rise to the upper echelons of the London trade, his career was sadly short-lived, no major mork by him is known after 1766 and he was declared bankrupt in 1767 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660 - 1840, Leeds, 1986, pp. 651 - 653).