.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The commode's elliptic top displays a festive 'Apollo' sunflowered medallion wreathed by a pastoral trophy of vines that are festooned from bacchic 'thyrsic' wands issuing from ewers, while laurels festoon libation paterae and sacred-urns displayed in the frieze. The medallioned façade is likewise embellished with a garlanded poetic trophy comprised of a palm-flowered urn wreathed by laurels issuing from Roman-acanthus scrolls, while more laurels wreath the sides' floral medallions.
Its corner-cupboard form follows that of the fashionable French 'Commode à battants d'encoignures' of the 1760s; while its Roman-trussed legs are clasped by golden Roman foliage in ormolu, and follow a French pattern of the period. They appear for instance on a French-fashioned marquetry commode that was signed and dated in 1767 by Christopher Fuhrlohg (d. after 1797), the Paris-trained Swedish ébéniste of Tottenham Court Road (J. F. Hayward, 'A newly discovered commode signed by Christopher Fuhrlohg', Burlington Magazine, CXIV, 1972, fig. 20). They also appear on a marquetry commode that is likely to have been introduced around 1770 to Ham House, Surrey by Lyonel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart and his Countess Charlotte, daughter of Sir Edward Walpole and on an elliptic commode formerly in the possession of Lord Ashburton (d. 1848) (ibid., fig. 92 and L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, London, 1994, no. 12).
THE PROVENANCE
When sold at Christie's in 1933 from the Oppenheim collection, this commode was said to have belonged to P.W. Newenham. This is probably Philip Worth Newenham, of Coolmore, Co. Cork. The present house was built in 1788 to replace a house of 1701 (M. Bence Jones, Burke's Guide to Country Houses, Ireland, London, 1978, p. 91.)
Its corner-cupboard form follows that of the fashionable French 'Commode à battants d'encoignures' of the 1760s; while its Roman-trussed legs are clasped by golden Roman foliage in ormolu, and follow a French pattern of the period. They appear for instance on a French-fashioned marquetry commode that was signed and dated in 1767 by Christopher Fuhrlohg (d. after 1797), the Paris-trained Swedish ébéniste of Tottenham Court Road (J. F. Hayward, 'A newly discovered commode signed by Christopher Fuhrlohg', Burlington Magazine, CXIV, 1972, fig. 20). They also appear on a marquetry commode that is likely to have been introduced around 1770 to Ham House, Surrey by Lyonel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart and his Countess Charlotte, daughter of Sir Edward Walpole and on an elliptic commode formerly in the possession of Lord Ashburton (d. 1848) (ibid., fig. 92 and L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, London, 1994, no. 12).
THE PROVENANCE
When sold at Christie's in 1933 from the Oppenheim collection, this commode was said to have belonged to P.W. Newenham. This is probably Philip Worth Newenham, of Coolmore, Co. Cork. The present house was built in 1788 to replace a house of 1701 (M. Bence Jones, Burke's Guide to Country Houses, Ireland, London, 1978, p. 91.)