POSSIBLY BY PHILIP BELL, THIRD QUARTER 18TH CENTURY

Details

AN EARLY GEORGE III MAHOGANY CLOTHES-PRESS
Possibly by Philip Bell, Third quarter 18th Century
With Greek-key fretted cornice above a pair of panelled doors enclosing four sliding oak trays, above four short drawers, on bracket feet, inscribed in chalk on the reverse 'CHUTE' twice and with label inscribed in ink 'West Tower', the metalwork replaced, previously with pierced angle-brackets on the feet
68½ in. (174 cm.) high; 51½ in. (131 cm.) wide; 24 in. (61 cm.) deep

Provenance

Possibly the Chute family (see note below).

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

A closely related mahogany clothes-press with the label of the St Paul's Churchyard cabinet-maker Philip Bell, with similar hollowed cornice pattern with fretted ribbon and similarly constructed panelled doors, was sold by Mrs E. M. Russell, removed from Goathland House, 11 November 1999, lot 124 (£6,900). The same cornice pattern also features on one of his labelled double chests-of-drawers (C. Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture Makers 1700-1840, Leeds, 1996, figs. 95, 96, 99).

While it is tempting to suggest that the chalk inscription on the backboards indicates a provenance from The Vyne, Basingstoke, Hampshire, there is no documentary evidence to suggest that Philip Bell supplied furniture to John Chute (d. 1776).

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