Lot Essay
By tradition the first Cumberland-action dining-table was made for Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, 4th son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and brother of George III. He was a patron of John Linnell in the mid-1770s so it is possible that he was the first recipient of a sophisticated design which is a development of the double gateleg table, adapted so that the legs spread the weight without obstructing people sitting at it.