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Lot Essay
This sofa is one of six that were part of the original furniture of the Great Hall, now the Saloon, at Hackwood which was built by John Vardy aorund 1760. They are recorded in the 1765 Inventory as 'Six Sophas and 4 Couch Stools with Carvd walnut Fect Cover'd with Green Bays & Gilt Naild & Coarse Gr. Bays Covers to Ditto'. The identification of this model of sofa with those in this room is based on the number and size of sofa that survive, the existence of 'couch stools' in the suite and their similarity to the pair of pier tables in the room at the time.
Five sofas of this model from Hackwood are now known:
- the present lot which has always remained at the house
- a pair sold by Lord Bolton at Christie's London, 24 June 1965, lot 19, and subsequently illustrated in Connoisseur, September 1966, by Quinneys Ltd.
- a pair sold by Lord Bolton at Sotheby's London, 16 November 1990, lot 280 and sold again at Sotheby's London, 5 July 1996, lot 62.
All the sofas are of the same small size and no chairs seem ever to have been included in the suite. None are recorded in the inventories and no chairs either sold or still at Hackwood correspond. The only tables in the room at the time were 'Two marble Slabs on Carvd Walnut Tree Frames'. These tables were almost certainly the pair of walnut pier tables with the Bolton coat-of-arms and claw-and-ball feet that were sold at Christie's London by Lord Bolton on 5 December 1991, lot 248, and which correspond to a drawing by John Vardy. The impression is of a room furnished with plain carved wood furniture, in direct contrast to the explosion of giltwood elsewhere in the house. There were giltwood sconces and brackets and a glass chandelier but these must have only partially limited the effect of green baize-covered walnut seat furniture and pier tables.
THE COUCH STOOLS
All four of the couch stools are known and were sold by Lord Bolton at Sotheby's London, 16 November 1990, lots 281 and 282 (in two pairs) and one pair again, anonymously, at Sotheby's London, 5 July 1997, lot 63. Each couch stool is five feet wide. This and their description as 'couch stools' in the 1765 inventory confirms that they were not intended to stand on the windows of the Great Hall but almost certainly to project at right angles from the chimneypieces, in a way that sofas are often used in a room today. The research by the Victoria and Albert Museum at Osterley and Ham has shown how the sofas were intended to flank the chimneypieces in a Saloon; this seems all the more likely at Hackwood with sofas of such small size.
Gillows' Memorandum includes the note transcribed above about 'new stuff' for these sofas. Although it is very hard to be certain, the front and back seat-rails of this sofa may well have been replaced by Gillows at this time as part of the general refurbishment.
Five sofas of this model from Hackwood are now known:
- the present lot which has always remained at the house
- a pair sold by Lord Bolton at Christie's London, 24 June 1965, lot 19, and subsequently illustrated in Connoisseur, September 1966, by Quinneys Ltd.
- a pair sold by Lord Bolton at Sotheby's London, 16 November 1990, lot 280 and sold again at Sotheby's London, 5 July 1996, lot 62.
All the sofas are of the same small size and no chairs seem ever to have been included in the suite. None are recorded in the inventories and no chairs either sold or still at Hackwood correspond. The only tables in the room at the time were 'Two marble Slabs on Carvd Walnut Tree Frames'. These tables were almost certainly the pair of walnut pier tables with the Bolton coat-of-arms and claw-and-ball feet that were sold at Christie's London by Lord Bolton on 5 December 1991, lot 248, and which correspond to a drawing by John Vardy. The impression is of a room furnished with plain carved wood furniture, in direct contrast to the explosion of giltwood elsewhere in the house. There were giltwood sconces and brackets and a glass chandelier but these must have only partially limited the effect of green baize-covered walnut seat furniture and pier tables.
THE COUCH STOOLS
All four of the couch stools are known and were sold by Lord Bolton at Sotheby's London, 16 November 1990, lots 281 and 282 (in two pairs) and one pair again, anonymously, at Sotheby's London, 5 July 1997, lot 63. Each couch stool is five feet wide. This and their description as 'couch stools' in the 1765 inventory confirms that they were not intended to stand on the windows of the Great Hall but almost certainly to project at right angles from the chimneypieces, in a way that sofas are often used in a room today. The research by the Victoria and Albert Museum at Osterley and Ham has shown how the sofas were intended to flank the chimneypieces in a Saloon; this seems all the more likely at Hackwood with sofas of such small size.
Gillows' Memorandum includes the note transcribed above about 'new stuff' for these sofas. Although it is very hard to be certain, the front and back seat-rails of this sofa may well have been replaced by Gillows at this time as part of the general refurbishment.