THREE REGENCY CIRCA 1814 AND BY WILLIAM TROTTER, ONE MODERN

Details

A SET OF FOUR MAHOGANY CANED LIBRARY BERGERES
Three Regency circa 1814 and by William Trotter, one modern
Each with reeded frame, the armrests, squab and bolster covered in light-green repp, the Regency chairs each with label inscribed 'JOHN DAVID N. HOME ROBERTSON 1960 HHR' and with modern painted inventory number '001/0110', repairs to the back feet
38¼ in. (97 cm.) high; 26½ in. (67 cm.) wide; 27 in. (68.5 cm.) depth of seat (4)

Provenance

Supplied to George Home (1735-1820) for his new Library at Paxton House, Berwickshire in 1814 and by descent at Paxton to Helen Milne Home, later Home Robertson (1905-1979) wife of John Robertson.

Literature

A. Rowan, 'Paxton House, Berwickshire - III', Country Life, 31 August 1967, p. 473, no. 8 (two shown in situ in the Library at Paxton).
F. Bamford, 'A Dictionary of Edinburgh Furniture Makers, 1660-1840', Furniture History, 1983, p. 121, pl. 51 (one illustrated).

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

Sale room notice

Additional Provenance: The set of four Regency mahogany bergeres was sold by Mrs Home Robertson of Paxton, Berwickshire, Christie's London, 9th December 1971, lot 111.

Lot Essay

The Grecian-scrolled library bergeres have incised 'tablet' rails and truss-pillared arms with volutes enriched with patterae en suite with the legs. They formed part of a suite of four mahogany caned Library chairs supplied in 1814 for George Home's library at Paxton House, Berwickshire by William Trotter (d.1833) of Princes Street, Edinburgh, at a cost of £7.70 each. They were invoiced on the 30th June as above and described '4 mahogany Caned Library Chairs the tops of elbows stuffed in fine cloth, welted with silk gimp, finished on brass castors @ 147/- £29.8.0' (Bamford, op.cit.). A single bergere of this pattern (possibly from Paxton) was sold anonymously, Sotheby's London, 14 July 1995, lot 109. Their pattern would appear to suit a magnificent mahogany book-cabinet with hermed pilasters capped by Grecian busts now shown in the Bust Room at Paxton (N. Tanter, Paxton House, 1993, fig. 33).

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