Lot Essay
Thomas Chippendale's commission (1767-78) to furnish Harewood House for Edwin Lascelles was not only the most valuable of his career, but the most sumptuous. The commission was a complete decoration of the house and included the hanging of wallpaper and supplying of damask and paper. The Chippendale bill for the early years of the commission is now missing, but in 1772 #3,024. 19s. 3d was carried forward onto the existing bill.
It is not possible to ascertain whether Chippendale himself provided this wallpaper, as was the case at Nostell Priory (op.cit. p. 50), or, as was more normal because of its rarity, that Lascelles himself acquired it. Little is known about the oriental paper trade, except that they were exported through Canton. Only one reference in 1755 to paper forming part of a ship's cargo is known, so it must be assumed that it was carried on commission by ship's captain's of the East India Company, thus avoiding the wallpaper tax (H. Wood, 'Princely Papers: The Regency Revival of Chinese Wallpapers', Royal Pavilion Review, 1990, no. 3, p. 3). This type of Panoramic paper was popular from about 1750 and a similar pattern of 'India' paper at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, was admired by Lady Proctor in 1764. Chippendale comments in his Director, London, 1762, pls. 26-8 when writing of chairs in the Chinese taste as 'very proper for a Lady's Dressing Room: especially if it is hung with India Paper'.
It is, however, the Day Work Book kept by Samuel Popelwell noting how Chippendale's workmen spent their time from 1769 - 1775 which enables us to identify this wallpaper. Mr. James arrived at Harewood on 18th October 1769 and stayed until Christmas fully employed papering, unpacking and fixing furniture (op.cit. p. 202). Between 14th and 16th December 1769, he spent hanging 28 hours 'Hanging the India paper in the Chintz pattern cotton bed Chamber' and between 21st and 23rd December 26 hours: 'At the patterns in the Chintz pattern cottom room'. This suite of rooms with their oriental 'India' paper inspired Chippendale's pea green-japanned furniture enlivened with golden landscapes, which comprised a serpentine clothes-press, a dressing commode and two bedside tables etc. (op.cit. figs. 241, 216). The 1795 inventory records the furniture as still in this suite: '... One Bedstead Green & Gold hung with Chintz and lined with Silk...' (pages 48-49). No doubt at some point during the 19th century, probably when Barry was remodelling the house during the 1840's, the wallpaper was removed and stored along with many of the mirrors and peripheral carving. It was discovered, rolled up, along with the paper from the Chintz bedroom in 1988 by Christie's whilst preparing for the sale of the surplus furniture (3rd October 1988). Until that time, the only remnant of 'India' paper was thought to be an oval panel contained in a gilt papier-mâché frame, sold in these Rooms, 10 April 1986, lot 78, now belonging to the Chippendale Society (op.cit. p. 203, fig. 312)
It is not possible to ascertain whether Chippendale himself provided this wallpaper, as was the case at Nostell Priory (op.cit. p. 50), or, as was more normal because of its rarity, that Lascelles himself acquired it. Little is known about the oriental paper trade, except that they were exported through Canton. Only one reference in 1755 to paper forming part of a ship's cargo is known, so it must be assumed that it was carried on commission by ship's captain's of the East India Company, thus avoiding the wallpaper tax (H. Wood, 'Princely Papers: The Regency Revival of Chinese Wallpapers', Royal Pavilion Review, 1990, no. 3, p. 3). This type of Panoramic paper was popular from about 1750 and a similar pattern of 'India' paper at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, was admired by Lady Proctor in 1764. Chippendale comments in his Director, London, 1762, pls. 26-8 when writing of chairs in the Chinese taste as 'very proper for a Lady's Dressing Room: especially if it is hung with India Paper'.
It is, however, the Day Work Book kept by Samuel Popelwell noting how Chippendale's workmen spent their time from 1769 - 1775 which enables us to identify this wallpaper. Mr. James arrived at Harewood on 18th October 1769 and stayed until Christmas fully employed papering, unpacking and fixing furniture (op.cit. p. 202). Between 14th and 16th December 1769, he spent hanging 28 hours 'Hanging the India paper in the Chintz pattern cotton bed Chamber' and between 21st and 23rd December 26 hours: 'At the patterns in the Chintz pattern cottom room'. This suite of rooms with their oriental 'India' paper inspired Chippendale's pea green-japanned furniture enlivened with golden landscapes, which comprised a serpentine clothes-press, a dressing commode and two bedside tables etc. (op.cit. figs. 241, 216). The 1795 inventory records the furniture as still in this suite: '... One Bedstead Green & Gold hung with Chintz and lined with Silk...' (pages 48-49). No doubt at some point during the 19th century, probably when Barry was remodelling the house during the 1840's, the wallpaper was removed and stored along with many of the mirrors and peripheral carving. It was discovered, rolled up, along with the paper from the Chintz bedroom in 1988 by Christie's whilst preparing for the sale of the surplus furniture (3rd October 1988). Until that time, the only remnant of 'India' paper was thought to be an oval panel contained in a gilt papier-mâché frame, sold in these Rooms, 10 April 1986, lot 78, now belonging to the Chippendale Society (op.cit. p. 203, fig. 312)