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Lot Essay
PERCIVAL D. GRIFFITHS AND JOSEPH SASSOON SYKES ARE HIGHLY RECOGNIZABLE NAMES IN THE ANNALS OF ENGLISH FURNITURE COLLECTING. EACH FORMED A REMARKABLE ASSEMBLAGE OF MID-GEORGIAN FURNITURE IN THE EARLIER PART OF THIS CENTURY UNDER THE ADVICE OF THE GREAT FURNITURE HISTORIAN R.W. SYMONDS (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON SYMONDS, SEE FOOTNOTE TO LOT 122). GRIFFITHS MET THE YOUNG SYMONDS IN 1910 AND SOON THEREAFTER HIS FAME AS A COLLECTOR WAS ESTABLISHED. THE MANY ARTICLES AND BOOKS THAT SYMONDS PUBLISHED THROUGHOUT THE NEXT FEW DECADES ILLUSTRATED THE PIECES IN THE GRIFFITHS COLLECTION. THIS CHAIR APPEARS IN NO LESS THAN FOUR OF SYMONDS PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING THE SEMINAL ENGLISH FURNITURE FROM CHARLES II TO GEORGE II PUBLISHED IN 1929. SYKES, WHOSE COLLECTION WAS ALSO PUBLISHED BY SYMONDS, WAS BUYING IN THE 1930'S AND HE WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE A NUMBER OF PIECES FROM THE GRIFFITHS COLLECTION, INCLUDING THIS CHAIR, WHICH WAS IN HIS POSSESSION BY THE PUBLICATION OF THE 1937 APOLLO ARTICLE ABOUT HIS COLLECTION IN WHICH THIS CHAIR IS DISCUSSED.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE DISTINCTIVE PROFILE AND CARVING OF THE LEG BRACKETS WHICH CAN BE COMPARED TO THE WORK OF JOHN CHANNON (D.1779). VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL BRACKETS FEATURE ON THE PADOUK WRITING-TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO CHANNON, LOT 146 IN THIS SALE. A CABINET-MAKER WORKING IN LONDON FROM 1737, CHANNON IS MORE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH FURNITURE EXECUTED IN HARD WOODS SUCH AS PADOUK AND MAHOGANY WHICH IS OFTEN INLAID WITH ENGRAVED BRASS OR EMBELLISHED WITH ORMOLU MOUNTS. A PADOUK ARMCHAIR ALSO ATTRIBUTED TO CHANNON EXHIBITS THE SAME SHAPE OF LEG WITH SIMILAR GADROON AND SHELL-CARVING AS WELL AS PRONOUNCED (ALTHOUGH OUTWARDLY SCROLLING) ARMS (SEE C. GILBERT AND T. MURDOCK, JOHN CHANNON AND BRASS-INLAID FURNITURE 1730-1760, NEW HAVEN, 1993, P.128, FIG.173).
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE DISTINCTIVE PROFILE AND CARVING OF THE LEG BRACKETS WHICH CAN BE COMPARED TO THE WORK OF JOHN CHANNON (D.1779). VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL BRACKETS FEATURE ON THE PADOUK WRITING-TABLE ATTRIBUTED TO CHANNON, LOT 146 IN THIS SALE. A CABINET-MAKER WORKING IN LONDON FROM 1737, CHANNON IS MORE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH FURNITURE EXECUTED IN HARD WOODS SUCH AS PADOUK AND MAHOGANY WHICH IS OFTEN INLAID WITH ENGRAVED BRASS OR EMBELLISHED WITH ORMOLU MOUNTS. A PADOUK ARMCHAIR ALSO ATTRIBUTED TO CHANNON EXHIBITS THE SAME SHAPE OF LEG WITH SIMILAR GADROON AND SHELL-CARVING AS WELL AS PRONOUNCED (ALTHOUGH OUTWARDLY SCROLLING) ARMS (SEE C. GILBERT AND T. MURDOCK, JOHN CHANNON AND BRASS-INLAID FURNITURE 1730-1760, NEW HAVEN, 1993, P.128, FIG.173).