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Lot Essay
The tops of these tables, with their finely cut bas-relief strapwork centred by Apollo's sunflower, are typical of the fashion for 'antique' decoration favoured by the court of Louis XIV. This mode of decoration was popularised in Britain by engravings published by William III's court architect Daniel Marot (d.1752). The masks heading the legs - apparently combining the face of Venus with Native American plumed headdresses - illustrate the fascination with both the mythology of the Ancient world and the allure of new worlds.
James Moore Snr. (c. 1670-1726) is recorded as working at Nottingham Court, Short's Gardens, St Giles in the Fields and is thought to have undertaken private commissions from around 1700. It is likely that he trained under the Gumleys who were cabinet-makers and manufacturers of mirror plate, so he would have gained valuable early experience in the use of sophisticated gilt-gesso work, generally used in the production of frames and employed in the decoration of the present tables. Moore was one of the leading exponents of this kind of work, and he is known to have supplied gilt-gesso furniture to both Queen Anne and George I for Kensington Palace, the latter whilst in partnership with John Gumley. He later went on to supply similar furniture to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722) and also took over the supervision of the building work at Blenheim after the dismissal of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh - where he became known as Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough's 'Oracle' (G. Beard, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, p. 618-619).
A gilt-gesso table of circa 1715 signed 'Moore' survives in the Royal Collection (Tessa Murdoch, 'The King's Cabinet Maker: the giltwood furniture of James Moore the Elder', The Burlington Magazine, June 2003, p 409, pl 5); a further table attributed to Moore, which shares not only the style of surface treatment and overall form but also displays other related features such as plumed masks to the legs and gadrooned frieze pendants, is illustrated and discussed in Masterpieces of English Furniture The Gerstenfeld Collection, E. Lennox-Boyd, ed., London, 1998, p. 73-75. A related table displaying similar plumed masks was sold from the collection of the late Sir John Gooch, 12th Bt., Benacre Hall, Suffolk, Sotheby's house sale, 9-11 May 2000, lot 34 (£223,500).
The paper label to the underside of one of the tables relates to The Kent Gallery Ltd. which was established circa 1920 by founder Lionel Harris
(1862-1943) whose early career was split between Madrid and London. He went on to establish various premises in London including The Spanish Art Gallery Ltd. at no. 50 Conduit Street, and the Kent Gallery Ltd. at no. 44, the firm carried important Spanish art together with significant 15th and 16th century religious sculptures, fine carpets and textiles and important furniture. They had various significant clients including members of the Spanish royal family and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Whilst Duarte Pinto Coelho did keep a flat in London and often visited Britain on buying trips the paper label suggests the possibility of another, earlier route by which these tables may have made their way to Spain.
Gilding analysis
Extensive analysis of the gesso and gilding has suggested that whilst there has been more than one layer of superficial surface decoration the vast majority of the original cut-gesso decoration survives. It is probable that the tables were only once applied with a later thin layer of gesso over the top of the original work and re-gilt in their entirety in the early 19th century, however there is a possibility that further subsequent layers have been removed, with various localised repairs and patches of re-gilding, which were then blended with the existing scheme; the most significant of these later repairs is to the centre of each of the tops where the carcass timbers join and a split has developed causing some loss; this has been competently repaired. There is slightly more abrasion to one table top which is likely to be the result of domestic cleaning. A copy of the gilding analysis report is available from the department.
James Moore Snr. (c. 1670-1726) is recorded as working at Nottingham Court, Short's Gardens, St Giles in the Fields and is thought to have undertaken private commissions from around 1700. It is likely that he trained under the Gumleys who were cabinet-makers and manufacturers of mirror plate, so he would have gained valuable early experience in the use of sophisticated gilt-gesso work, generally used in the production of frames and employed in the decoration of the present tables. Moore was one of the leading exponents of this kind of work, and he is known to have supplied gilt-gesso furniture to both Queen Anne and George I for Kensington Palace, the latter whilst in partnership with John Gumley. He later went on to supply similar furniture to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722) and also took over the supervision of the building work at Blenheim after the dismissal of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh - where he became known as Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough's 'Oracle' (G. Beard, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, p. 618-619).
A gilt-gesso table of circa 1715 signed 'Moore' survives in the Royal Collection (Tessa Murdoch, 'The King's Cabinet Maker: the giltwood furniture of James Moore the Elder', The Burlington Magazine, June 2003, p 409, pl 5); a further table attributed to Moore, which shares not only the style of surface treatment and overall form but also displays other related features such as plumed masks to the legs and gadrooned frieze pendants, is illustrated and discussed in Masterpieces of English Furniture The Gerstenfeld Collection, E. Lennox-Boyd, ed., London, 1998, p. 73-75. A related table displaying similar plumed masks was sold from the collection of the late Sir John Gooch, 12th Bt., Benacre Hall, Suffolk, Sotheby's house sale, 9-11 May 2000, lot 34 (£223,500).
The paper label to the underside of one of the tables relates to The Kent Gallery Ltd. which was established circa 1920 by founder Lionel Harris
(1862-1943) whose early career was split between Madrid and London. He went on to establish various premises in London including The Spanish Art Gallery Ltd. at no. 50 Conduit Street, and the Kent Gallery Ltd. at no. 44, the firm carried important Spanish art together with significant 15th and 16th century religious sculptures, fine carpets and textiles and important furniture. They had various significant clients including members of the Spanish royal family and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Whilst Duarte Pinto Coelho did keep a flat in London and often visited Britain on buying trips the paper label suggests the possibility of another, earlier route by which these tables may have made their way to Spain.
Gilding analysis
Extensive analysis of the gesso and gilding has suggested that whilst there has been more than one layer of superficial surface decoration the vast majority of the original cut-gesso decoration survives. It is probable that the tables were only once applied with a later thin layer of gesso over the top of the original work and re-gilt in their entirety in the early 19th century, however there is a possibility that further subsequent layers have been removed, with various localised repairs and patches of re-gilding, which were then blended with the existing scheme; the most significant of these later repairs is to the centre of each of the tops where the carcass timbers join and a split has developed causing some loss; this has been competently repaired. There is slightly more abrasion to one table top which is likely to be the result of domestic cleaning. A copy of the gilding analysis report is available from the department.