Lot Essay
The tripod tea-table, with palm-wrapped and antique-fluted baluster, has Roman acanthus husks carved above its tripod 'claw'. This torus moulding, together with the husk-festooned Grecian palm-flowers of the tripod 'claw', corresponds to the ornament of the celebrated seat-furniture supplied by Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779) to Sir Lawrence Dundas, Bt. (d. 1781). The Dundas suite was 'Richly Carved in the Antick manner' to a design executed in 1764 for Sir Lawrence's Arlington Street house by the architect Robert Adam (d. 1792). Part of the suite was sold by The Marquess of Zetland and the 3rd Marquess of Zetland's Will Trust, in these Rooms, 3 July 1997, lots 100 and 101. No such tea-table is listed in the surviving Chippendale/Dundas archives although Chippendale and Rannie supplied Sir Lawrence with mahogany 'teaboards', 'teabox' and a 'teatray' among other goods amounting to £1,123.0.0 invoiced between July 1763 and January 1766. In addition Chippendale supplied a pair of firescreens supported on tripod 'claws' terminating in the same pattern of rounded foot (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. I, pp. 154-160 and vol. II, fig. 330).