Lot Essay
The plinth-supported table, with its palm-flowered leopard monopodia, relates to library-table patterns of 1804 published in George Smith's Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1808, pls. 83 and 87. A library table of this pattern, fitted with the same palm-flowered and Isis-stared escutcheons and handles, may have formed part of the furnishings supplied by Gillows of London and Lancaster to Nathaniel Ryder, 1st Baron Harrowby (d. 1803) for Sandon Park, Staffordshire, while a second table was at one time in the possession of Messrs. Ayers & Co., Bath (illustrated in C. Aslet and M. Hall, 'Sandon Hall, Staffordshire', Country Life, 13 June 1991, p. 177, fig. 6 and M. Jourdain, Regency Furniture 1795-1830, London, rev. ed., 1965, p. 78, fig. 181). The monopodium featured on a suite of drawing-room seat furniture supplied circa 1805 by Gillows of Oxford Street to Colonel Hughes for Kinmel Park, Denbighshire. It was partly in reference to this suite that W.L. Hughes wrote to his uncle on 25 July 1907, 'I do flatter myself that your two rooms will be the neatest and most tasteful in your neighbourhood' (quoted in 'The Hughes Papers', Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, 1951, vol. 103, p. 117). At the time of the original Gillows commission Kinmel Park was being reconstructed under the supervision of Samuel Wyatt (d. 1807). Wyatt had a particularly close relationship with Gillows and it seems probably that he was responsible for the original design. One of the daybeds from the Kinmel suite was sold from the collection of Mr. Edward Sarofim in these Rooms, 16 November 1995, lot 143. The leopard monopodia had identical zig-zag collars and palm-flowered breastplates.
A related pier table with leopard monopodia was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 6 February 1997, lot 175.
A related pier table with leopard monopodia was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 6 February 1997, lot 175.