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Lot Essay
The chair form with its broken squared cabriole leg and squared hoof foot relates to the celebrated suite from Houghton Hall, Norfolk and attributed to Royal cabinet-maker James Moore (d.1726). This suite was most likely commissioned by James Brydges, later 1st Duke of Chandos, for Cannons, Middlesex but was acquired for Houghton Hall in the early 19th century. The Houghton chairs are executed in gilt-gesso with similar strapwork designs and 'poetic' indian masks with feathered headdresses as inspired by the designs of Jean Bérain. Two armchairs from this celebrated suite were sold by the Marquess of Cholmondeley, 'Houghton', Christie's London, 8 December 1994, lot 135 (also see R. Edwards, ed., The Dictionary of English Furniture, rev.edn., 1954, vol.I, p.267, fig.130). Another chair with the same profile legs and feet and inlaid with strapwork marquetry from Honington Hall, Warwickshire is illustrated in R. Edwards, op.cit, p.256, fig.91.
The unusual and distinctive lotus leaf ornament on the stretchers is derived from contemporary 'Indian' or Japanese and Chinese lacquer cabinets-on-stands. Another armchair with this feature from the estate of David Berg was sold in these Rooms, 21 October 1999, lot 20. A stool from the collection of Marjorie Wiggin Prescott, and another pair of closely related chairs in a private American collection also feature the leaf-carved stretcher.
These chairs were formerly in the collection of Lord Trevor of Brynkinalt, Wales. A pair of boulle commodes (reconstructed from Louis XIV elements) from the Akram Ojjeh collection, sold Christie's Monaco, 11-12 December 1999, lot 50 was previously sold from Lord Trevor's collection in 1983.
The unusual and distinctive lotus leaf ornament on the stretchers is derived from contemporary 'Indian' or Japanese and Chinese lacquer cabinets-on-stands. Another armchair with this feature from the estate of David Berg was sold in these Rooms, 21 October 1999, lot 20. A stool from the collection of Marjorie Wiggin Prescott, and another pair of closely related chairs in a private American collection also feature the leaf-carved stretcher.
These chairs were formerly in the collection of Lord Trevor of Brynkinalt, Wales. A pair of boulle commodes (reconstructed from Louis XIV elements) from the Akram Ojjeh collection, sold Christie's Monaco, 11-12 December 1999, lot 50 was previously sold from Lord Trevor's collection in 1983.