CIRCA 1780

THESE GILDED SIDE TABLES, INTENDED TO ACCOMPANY A MIRROR IN A WINDOW-PIER, ARE DESIGNED IN THE GEORGE III ROMAN FASHION POPULARIZED BY THE 1770S ARCHITECTURAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE ROME-TRAINED COURT ARCHITECT ROBERT ADAM (D. 1796). THEIR ELLIPTICAL 'ROMAN-MEDALLION' TOPS DISPLAY COMPARTMENTS OF SILKEN-FIGURED HAREWOOD BANDED BY GOLDEN SATINWOOD RIBBONS, WHOSE INLAY EVOKES LYRIC POETRY CONCERNING SACRIFICES AT LOVE'S ALTAR IN ANTIQUITY. A POETIC APOLLO LAUREL-WREATH ACCOMPANIES A RAYED AND SCALLOPED COMPARTMENT EDGED BY 'VENUS' PEARLS; WHILE THE BORDER FEATURES LAURELLED AND PALM-FLOWERED SACRED URNS THAT RECALL ADAM'S 'ETRUSCAN' FASHION. THE PEARL-WREATHED AND ANTIQUE-FLUTED FRAME DISPLAYS 'APOLLO' SUNFLOWERED TABLETS ABOVE URN-CAPPED AND REED-BANDED COLUMNAR LEGS. SUCH LAURELLED URNS, RAISED ON ACANTHUS FLOWERED PEDESTALS, WERE ADOPTED BY THE LONDON-TRAINED DUBLIN CABINET-MAKER AND INLAYER WILLIAM MOORE ON A COMMODE SUPPLIED IN 1782 FOR THE 3RD DUKE OF PORTLAND (SEE THE KNIGHT OF GLIN AND JAMES PEILL, IRISH FURNITURE, NEW HAVEN AND LONDON, 2007, P. 163, FIG. 220).

RELATED FRAMES FEATURED ON MARQUETRY-TOPPED TABLES, IN THE STYLE OF WILLIAM MOORE THAT WERE FORMERLY AT DROMANA, IN COUNTY WATERFORD (SOLD CHRISTIE'S, LONDON, 15 APRIL 1982, LOT 79). ANOTHER FROM DISWELLSTOWN HOUSE, CO. DUBLIN ALSO SOLD CHRISTIE'S, LONDON, 17 NOVEMBER 1983, LOT 146.