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Lot Essay
This rare cistern wine-cooler, likely commissioned by James Herbert in the late 1730s for his Palladian-style banqueting room at Tythrop, reflects the refined taste of the English Augustan age, with ornamentation inspired by Gaetano Brunetti’s 1736 Ornaments and echoing the craftsmanship of John Hodson. Its richly scrolled escutcheon and paw-footed form exemplify the elegant fusion of classical and picturesque design that flourished among elite 18th-century patrons. Later part of the celebrated Samuel Messer collection, the cooler stands as a testament to the discerning eye of a connoisseur who, guided by R.W. Symonds, helped define a golden era of British furniture collecting.
The Tythrop cistern probably dates from the late 1730s as it relates to a cistern on paw-footed stand supplied by John Hodson to Blair Castle in 1738 (A. Coleridge, John Hodson and some cabinet-makers at Blair Castle', The Connoisseur, April 1963, p. 225, fig. 4). Its fanciful escutcheon derives from the type of 'picturesque' ornament published in 1736 by the 'Italian painter' Gaetano Brunetti (d. 1758) for the use of 'wood-carvers, silversmiths, etc.'. His Ornaments was a popular source book for craftsmen and artists, who attended William Hogarth's St. Martin's Lane Academy.
SAMUEL MESSER
In the 20th century the wine-cooler subsequently formed part of the collection of Samuel Messer. The Messer collection of furniture, clocks and barometers epitomised the extraordinary creative output of the 18th Century. In one way the sale marked the end of a generation of great English furniture collections formed in the 20th century in Britain, while on the other hand it raised the appreciation for fine English furniture to new heights inspiring a new generation of collectors. Samuel Messer was one of the very small, elite group of connoisseurs of Georgian furniture - including Percival Griffiths, Geoffrey Blackwell, J.S. Sykes, Fred Skull and James Thursby-Pelham - who formed the nucleus of their collections under the guidance of R.W. Symonds (d.1958). When advising his clients Symonds placed great emphasis on original patination, a well-balanced design and good quality timber and carving.
The Tythrop cistern probably dates from the late 1730s as it relates to a cistern on paw-footed stand supplied by John Hodson to Blair Castle in 1738 (A. Coleridge, John Hodson and some cabinet-makers at Blair Castle', The Connoisseur, April 1963, p. 225, fig. 4). Its fanciful escutcheon derives from the type of 'picturesque' ornament published in 1736 by the 'Italian painter' Gaetano Brunetti (d. 1758) for the use of 'wood-carvers, silversmiths, etc.'. His Ornaments was a popular source book for craftsmen and artists, who attended William Hogarth's St. Martin's Lane Academy.
SAMUEL MESSER
In the 20th century the wine-cooler subsequently formed part of the collection of Samuel Messer. The Messer collection of furniture, clocks and barometers epitomised the extraordinary creative output of the 18th Century. In one way the sale marked the end of a generation of great English furniture collections formed in the 20th century in Britain, while on the other hand it raised the appreciation for fine English furniture to new heights inspiring a new generation of collectors. Samuel Messer was one of the very small, elite group of connoisseurs of Georgian furniture - including Percival Griffiths, Geoffrey Blackwell, J.S. Sykes, Fred Skull and James Thursby-Pelham - who formed the nucleus of their collections under the guidance of R.W. Symonds (d.1958). When advising his clients Symonds placed great emphasis on original patination, a well-balanced design and good quality timber and carving.