POSSIBLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE

A very similar serpentine chest of drawers was supplied to Ninian Home for Paxton House, Berwickshire by Chippendale Haig & Co., in 1774 (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, p. 271-272, fig. 206). One of the small constructional elements that points to Chippendale's possible authorship is the use of s-pattern keyholes, almost unique to him. In his 1768 account to Lady Shelburne, Chippendale mentioned that a commode table has 'very good spring and tumbler locks and S-bitted keys' (Gilbert, op. cit., vol. I, p. 253, and vol. II, p. 147, fig. 267). This keyhole pattern has very occasionally been recorded on furniture attributed to Chippendale's competitor John Cobb, for example on the commode sold anonymously, Christie's New York, 19 April 2001, lot 148. However, nearly all occurrences are on furniture attributed to Chippendale (see also lot 50 in this sale).