CIRCA 1765

THE ELEGANTLY SERPENTINED TABLE IS RICHLY POLYCHROMED WITH FLORAL SPRIGS IN THE FRENCH FASHION PROMOTED IN THE 1760S BY PARIS-TRAINED éBéNISTES AND SPECIALIST 'INLAYERS' SUCH AS CHRISTOPHER FUHRLOHG OF TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD (C. GILBERT, PICTORIAL DICTIONARY OF MARKED LONDON FURNITURE, LEEDS, 1996, P. 212). IT FALLS WITHIN A GROUP OF SIMILARLY 'SELF-CONSCIOUS FRENCH INSPIRATION' FURNITURE ALTHOUGH OF VARYING FORMS (L. WOOD, CATALOGUE OF COMMODES, 1994, GROUP NOS. 11 AND 12). WHILE JOHN COBB'S NAME HAS FREQUENTLY BEEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS TYPE OF FLORAL DECORATION, OTHER EMIGRANT CABINET-MAKERS ARE ALSO UNDER CONSIDERATION SUCH AS FUHRLOHG, PIERRE LANGLOIS, AND GEORGE HAUPT. THREE COMMODES IN THE GROUP, TRACED BACK TO STAMNER PARK, ALLOW ONE TO CONSULT DOCUMENTATION FOR LORD PELHAM WHO WAS FITTING UP THE HOUSE BETWEEN 1765 AND 1774. THE RECORDS DO LITTLE TO NARROW THE POSSIBILITIES OF AUTHORSHIP AS IT WOULD APPEAR THAT LORD PELHAM HAD DEALINGS WITH MANY OF THE ABOVE CABINET-MAKERS. INTERESTINGLY, THE RELATIVELY UNKNOWN NAME OF MARTIN IS MENTIONED IN ASSOCIATION WITH A 1767 PAYMENT TO COBB. LUCY WOOD SPECULATES THIS MAY BE THE SWEDE, CARL GUSTAV MARTIN, NEPHEW OF GEORGE HAUPT, WHO MUST BE CONSIDERED AMONG THE CANDIDATES FOR THIS GROUP.

WITH ITS CUPID-BOW AND FLOWERED TOP WREATHED BY A FLORAL RIBBON, IT RELATES IN PARTICULAR TO ORMOLU-ENRICHED PIER-TABLES FORMERLY AT IDSWORTH, HAMPSHIRE AND WROTTESLEY HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE. IN ADDITION TO THE PRESENT TABLE'S 'VENUS' ROSE-SPRIGGED TABLET, THE LATTER DISPLAYS A POETIC LAUREL-WREATHED TROPHY, WHILE THE FORMER DISPLAYS A PHEASANT COPIED FROM GEORGE EDWARDS, NATURAL HISTORY OF UNCOMMON BIRDS, 1739-1764 (L. WOOD, OP. CIT., NO. 11, XI AND XII, FIGS. 132-133). A PAIR OF SMALL COMMODES FROM THE GROUP, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF VISCOUNT LEVERHULME, WAS SOLD CHRISTIE'S, NEW YORK, 7 APRIL 2006, LOT 260.