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Lot Essay
Early Georgian or Queen Anne pieces richly veneered in stained maple or stained burr-elm are usually catalogued as 'in the manner of' or attributed to the cabinet-makers George Coxed and Thomas Woster (d. 1736). The partnership of Coxed and Woster began around 1710 when they succeeded John Coxed at the 'White Swan' in St Paul's Churchyard (see lot 30). By 1723, Thomas Woster was probably trading alone as he submitted invoices without mention of a partner and as no labels featuring simply Thomas Woster have been discovered, it may be assumed that the Coxed and Woster labelled pieces date from between circa 1710-1723. The present piece, although unlabelled, relates to a bureau-cabinet labelled with the earlier style of Coxed and Woster's label, datable to 1715-1720 (C. Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture, Leeds, 1996, p. 156, fig. 241 and p. 155, fig. 239).
John Coxed and Coxed and Woster are the only known cabinet-makers to have used this type of stained veneer, although the technique must surely have been used by rival cabinet-makers. Given the fashion in late 17th early 18th Century Europe for brass-inlaid stained-tortoiseshell veneered furniture, a technique perfected by the French Royal cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle (d. 1732), this technique of staining veneers was probably intended to simulate tortoiseshell veneers. The addition of pewter-inlay served to emphasise the similarity to Boulle-work (M. Riccardi-Cubitt, op. cit, p. 84).
The process of creating this rich and exotic veneer, is derived from two methods outlined in John Stalker and George Parker's Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing of 1688. Essentially the chosen veneer (often either ash, elm or maple), is stained yellow with Aqua fortis (nitric acid) and then rubbed with 'lampblack' (soot). The acid penetrates deeply into areas of soft grain which the lampblack colours richly, giving rise to a wonderfully decorative and three-dimensional effect. The final stage is to pare back the surface until the desired contrast of light and dark is achieved. For a full discussion of the technique and many of the myths surrounding the fashion of stained ash, elm or maple veneering at this date, see A. Bowett, 'Myths of English Furniture History: Mulberry Wood Furniture by Coxed and Woster', Antique Collecting, October 1998, pp. 32-35.
John Coxed and Coxed and Woster are the only known cabinet-makers to have used this type of stained veneer, although the technique must surely have been used by rival cabinet-makers. Given the fashion in late 17th early 18th Century Europe for brass-inlaid stained-tortoiseshell veneered furniture, a technique perfected by the French Royal cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle (d. 1732), this technique of staining veneers was probably intended to simulate tortoiseshell veneers. The addition of pewter-inlay served to emphasise the similarity to Boulle-work (M. Riccardi-Cubitt, op. cit, p. 84).
The process of creating this rich and exotic veneer, is derived from two methods outlined in John Stalker and George Parker's Treatise of Japanning and Varnishing of 1688. Essentially the chosen veneer (often either ash, elm or maple), is stained yellow with Aqua fortis (nitric acid) and then rubbed with 'lampblack' (soot). The acid penetrates deeply into areas of soft grain which the lampblack colours richly, giving rise to a wonderfully decorative and three-dimensional effect. The final stage is to pare back the surface until the desired contrast of light and dark is achieved. For a full discussion of the technique and many of the myths surrounding the fashion of stained ash, elm or maple veneering at this date, see A. Bowett, 'Myths of English Furniture History: Mulberry Wood Furniture by Coxed and Woster', Antique Collecting, October 1998, pp. 32-35.