A WILLIAM IV BRASS-INLAID ROSEWOOD SOFA

Details

A WILLIAM IV BRASS-INLAID ROSEWOOD SOFA
ATTRIBUTED TO GILLOWS OF LANCASTER

The straight back, out-scrolled arms and seat upholstered in pink and beige-striped silk, the arms carved with scrolling acanthus and terminating in an acanthus-spray, the front-rail with central panel of scrolling arabesques, on scrolling feet raised on gadroons with brass castors, with pressed metal label stamped ROBSON & SONS MAKERS NEWCASTLE ON TYNE
79in. (200cm.) wide

Provenance

Probably supplied to Morton John Davison, Esq. (1778-1841), for Beamish Park, Co. Durham
Thence by indirect descent with the house to Robert Duncombe Shafto, Esq., of Beamish Park and subsequently of Bavington Hall

Lot Essay

This Grecian sofa has serpentined arms in the French arabesque manner. The acanthus-wrapped volutes correspond to those of a sofa pattern of 1823 illustrated in Gillows' Estimate Sketch Books, no. 3286. The latter was designed en suite with a 'Rutland' bergere, which would have been invented for Belvoir Castle.
Robson's of Newcastle appear to have labelled this sofa when they re-upholstered it. They were the makers of sixteen of the dining-chairs in lot 177

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