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Lot Essay
The bed, hung in rich-filigreed embroidery, has a triumphal arched head-board that is fretted in the Louis Quatorze 'Roman' fashion with Venus wave-scrolls confronted into a central pelta-shaped cartouche that may once have supported a coronet; while its head-cloth is festooned in drapery between fringe-bordered, laurel-wreathed and Salomonic-spiralled pillars. Its canopy is also framed with fringes in mosaiced compartments with a rectangular tablet and 'French' hollowed corners.
This bed form appeared in London in the early 1670s with the arrival of Louis XIV's court upholsterer Jean Peyrard, who is credited with the manufacture of the related 'King's Bed' at Knole, Kent (G. Beard, Upholsterers and Interior Furnishing in England, London, 1997, fig.49). It also, with its rich fringes and draped pillars, relates to the richly embroidered Belvoir Castle bed of John Manners, 9th Earl of Rutland at Belvoir Castle, Rutland, that has been attributed to the Pall Mall upholsterer Jean Poictevin [Paudevin] (d. c.1709) (Beard ibid p.89). As well as the Duke of Lauderdale's wave-crested and spiral-columned wing-chair of the 1670s, Poictevin (supplied a sumptuous bed for the Duke of Hamilton's apartment at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh in 1687 (Beard ibid fig. 54). While another stately bed, with waved headboard, was supplied in 1682 to the Duke of Hamilton by the London upholsterer John Ridge (M. Swain, The State Beds at Holyroodhouse, Furniture History, 1978 p.58). A further 'Finch' bed, in the Palace of Het Loo, has been dated to around 1700 and illustrated in 'Walnut Furniture at Burley-on-the-Hill', Country Life, 24th February, 1923, fig. 1.
In 1682, Daniel Finch inherited Nottingham House, Kensington from his father Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham (d.1682), who had served as Lord Chancellor. Daniel Finch entered parliament for Lichfield in 1679. He was one of the privy councillors who in 1685 signed the order for the proclamation of the Duke of York, but during the whole of the reign of James II he kept away from the court. At the last moment he hesitated to join in the invitation to William of Orange, and after the abdication of James II he was the leader of the party who were in favour of a regency. He declined the office of Lord Chancellor under William and Mary, but accepted that of secretary of state, retaining it until December 1693. Under Anne, he in 1702 again accepted the same office in the ministry of Godolphin, but finally retired in 1704. On the accession of George I he was made Lord President of the Council, but in 1716 he finally withdrew from office. He succeeded to the Earldom of Winchilsea (with which the Nottingham title now became united) on 9 September 1729, and died on the 1 January 1730.
Please note that the bed was assembled for the catalogue illustration using computer assisted photography. Advice from a professional restorer is required to safely construct the bed.
This bed form appeared in London in the early 1670s with the arrival of Louis XIV's court upholsterer Jean Peyrard, who is credited with the manufacture of the related 'King's Bed' at Knole, Kent (G. Beard, Upholsterers and Interior Furnishing in England, London, 1997, fig.49). It also, with its rich fringes and draped pillars, relates to the richly embroidered Belvoir Castle bed of John Manners, 9th Earl of Rutland at Belvoir Castle, Rutland, that has been attributed to the Pall Mall upholsterer Jean Poictevin [Paudevin] (d. c.1709) (Beard ibid p.89). As well as the Duke of Lauderdale's wave-crested and spiral-columned wing-chair of the 1670s, Poictevin (supplied a sumptuous bed for the Duke of Hamilton's apartment at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh in 1687 (Beard ibid fig. 54). While another stately bed, with waved headboard, was supplied in 1682 to the Duke of Hamilton by the London upholsterer John Ridge (M. Swain, The State Beds at Holyroodhouse, Furniture History, 1978 p.58). A further 'Finch' bed, in the Palace of Het Loo, has been dated to around 1700 and illustrated in 'Walnut Furniture at Burley-on-the-Hill', Country Life, 24th February, 1923, fig. 1.
In 1682, Daniel Finch inherited Nottingham House, Kensington from his father Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham (d.1682), who had served as Lord Chancellor. Daniel Finch entered parliament for Lichfield in 1679. He was one of the privy councillors who in 1685 signed the order for the proclamation of the Duke of York, but during the whole of the reign of James II he kept away from the court. At the last moment he hesitated to join in the invitation to William of Orange, and after the abdication of James II he was the leader of the party who were in favour of a regency. He declined the office of Lord Chancellor under William and Mary, but accepted that of secretary of state, retaining it until December 1693. Under Anne, he in 1702 again accepted the same office in the ministry of Godolphin, but finally retired in 1704. On the accession of George I he was made Lord President of the Council, but in 1716 he finally withdrew from office. He succeeded to the Earldom of Winchilsea (with which the Nottingham title now became united) on 9 September 1729, and died on the 1 January 1730.
Please note that the bed was assembled for the catalogue illustration using computer assisted photography. Advice from a professional restorer is required to safely construct the bed.