Lot 123
123
THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY BREAKFRONT BOOKCASE with pierced swan-neck pediment terminated by floral patera upon a trelliswork ground above a dentilled cornice and pierced fretwork frieze above two central ovolo glazed doors enclosing four adjustable shelves and two further flanking doors each enclosing five adjustable shelves, upon a moulded plinth and breakfront lower section with a pair of oval-panelled doors with ebony and boxwood starbursts to the angles, enclosing four slides flanked by five graduated mahogany-lined drawers to each side, on a moulded breakfront plinth, two drawers inscribed on the underside Oxenhouse (or /ham) lot 227, with depository label to the reverse WHITE & CO. LTD. FURNITURE DEPOSITORIES. NAME... NO... WINCHESTER SOUTHAMPTON, LONDON, PORTSMOUTH AND BOURNEMOUTH, one pane cracked, restorations to cornice

Details
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY BREAKFRONT BOOKCASE with pierced swan-neck pediment terminated by floral patera upon a trelliswork ground above a dentilled cornice and pierced fretwork frieze above two central ovolo glazed doors enclosing four adjustable shelves and two further flanking doors each enclosing five adjustable shelves, upon a moulded plinth and breakfront lower section with a pair of oval-panelled doors with ebony and boxwood starbursts to the angles, enclosing four slides flanked by five graduated mahogany-lined drawers to each side, on a moulded breakfront plinth, two drawers inscribed on the underside Oxenhouse (or /ham) lot 227, with depository label to the reverse WHITE & CO. LTD. FURNITURE DEPOSITORIES. NAME... NO... WINCHESTER SOUTHAMPTON, LONDON, PORTSMOUTH AND BOURNEMOUTH, one pane cracked, restorations to cornice
95in. (240cm.) wide; 130in. (287cm.) high; 34in. (61cm.) deep
Provenance
By descent in the vendor's family since circa 1860

Lot Essay

The star inlay in the corners of the lower doors is closely related to that on a pair of bookcases supplied en suite with the famous 'Violin' bookcase by Thomas Chippendale circa 1762 to the Earl of Pembroke, probably for Pembroke House, Whitehall. Although the stars on this bookcase are of simplified form they repeat the shadowing of the Wilton bookcases. This distinctive glazing pattern is repeated on a bookcase sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 26 June 1986, lot 166.
The inscription on the underside of the drawers may refer to Oxen Hoath, a house in the Weald of Kent rebuilt by Salvin circa 1850. Given the provenance this seems the most likely. There does not seem to have been a suitable house at Oxenholme, near Kendal in Cumbria, or at Oxenhope, near Keighley in Yorkshire.

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