Lot Essay
The design of this chest with its carved top, canted angles and foliate-carved bracket feet is closely related to a drawing executed by John Brown for The Mansion House, London (S.Jeffrey, The Mansion House, 1993, p.162, fig 136A). The Mansion House, residence of the Lord Mayors of London, was completed in 1752 at which time Brown was asked to supply furniture designs. 'A Mohogany Serpentine Dressing Table' priced at £12 was one of eighteen drawings he provided, several of which still survive, although very little of the furniture survives from the 1752 commission. John Brown was recorded working under the sign of 'The Three Cover'd Chairs and Walnut Tree' at St.Paul's Churchyard from about 1728 (G.Beard and C.Gilbert, eds., The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, pp.114-115). The primary suppliers for The Mansion House was the firm Kiplin, Chesson and Saunders of Soho Square.