A REGENCY ORMOLU-MOUNTED TORTOISESHELL AND BRASS BOULLE MARQUETRY MARRIAGE COFFER

POSSIBLY BY THOMAS PARKER, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

細節

A REGENCY ORMOLU-MOUNTED TORTOISESHELL AND BRASS BOULLE MARQUETRY MARRIAGE COFFER
POSSIBLY BY THOMAS PARKER, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
The rectangular-sectioned coffer with a hinged bombé cover inlaid with foliate scrolls, the top centred by a Bacchus handle, the front centred by an Apollo's mask flanked by a bearded man's masks, the sides with conforming mask handles, the back decorated with Apollo's and lions' masks, the corner mounts decorated with foliate paterae, the base with a concave-fronted molding framed by a border with fruited laurel leaves, above a frieze fitted with a drawer centred by a mask of a laurel-wreathed man, on square tapering legs joined by a concave-fronted undertier centred by a lidded vase with leaves and gadroons, the backboard inlaid with foliate scrolls, on bun feet decorated with leaves terminating in casters, with remains of a rectangular paper label inscribed 'COFFRET DE MARRIAGE EN MARQUETERIE ATTRIBUE A ANDRE CHARLES BOULLE EPOQUE LOUIS XIV', the mounts regilt, drawer relined
47 in. (119 cm.) high, 27¼ in. (69 cm.) wide, 20 in. (51 cm.) deep

拍品專文

Pairs of such boulle-filigreed chests provided an important element for stately apartments furnished in the Louis Quatorze antiquarian style that was promoted around 1800 by the Carlton House mansion of George, Prince of Wales, later George IV (W.H. Pyne, The History of Carlton House, The History of the Royal Residences, 1819). These domed medal-chests derive from the 17th century dressing-chest or Coffre de Toilette such as featured in the early 18th century publication by P.-J. Mariette entitled Nouveau Dessins de Meubles et Ouvrages de bronze et de Marqueterie inventés et gravés par André-Charles Boulle [d. 1732]. They proved a speciality of the Princes' Piccadilly neighbour Thomas Parker (fl. 1805 - 1830) of Air Street, who advertised himself from 1811 as 'Cabinet and Buhl Manufacturer to H.R.H. the Prince Regent and Royal Family'. The Royal examples were no doubt executed under the direction of the Prince's adviser Lord Yarmouth, later 3rd Marquess of Hertford. Following their removal to George IV's state apartments at Windsor Castle, which were furnished under the direction of the King's 'Upholsterer in Ordinary' Nicolas Morel, they were listed in George IV's 1827 Pictorial Inventory (P. van Duin, 'Two Pairs of Boulle caskets on stands by Thomas Parker', Furniture History, 1989, pp. 213 - 216). Another pair is in the Marquess of Hertford's collection (P. Hughes, The Wallace Collection, vol. II, London, 1996, no. 142). A further pair by Parker, dated 1812, is in the collection of the Dukes of Bedford, and others are in the collection of the Dukes of Buccleuch (C. Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture, Leeds, 1996, figs. 718 - 720).