CIRCA 1720-30

This golden chandelier is decorated with foliage, strapwork and shells in the manner of gilt gesso furniture of the early 18th century, and its form derives from brass chandeliers which were more usual in this period. Wooden chandeliers were comparatively rare at the time and fewer still survive. By the mid-18th century glass chandeliers had largely superseded all other forms although Thomas Chippendale refers to wooden chandeliers in the third edition of his Director, 1762, stating 'if neatly done in wood, and gilt in burnished gold (they) would look better and come much cheaper'.
Although the Portland collection records give no clue as to the likely maker of this chandelier there are parallels in other lighting and furniture. The most closely related chandelier is one from the collection of the late H.J.Joel, Childwick Bury, St.Albans, Hertfordshire, Christie's house sale, 15 May 1978, lot 65. Like the present lot it was decorated with foliage and shells (though in low relief) and had very similar branches. By tradition this was formerly at Kensington Palace and is attributed to James Moore. Moore had been apprenticed around 1685-90 to John Gumley, the Royal Cabinet-Maker, who supplied looking glasses to William III in 1691 and to the Duke of Devonshire for Chatsworth in 1702. Under Gumley's instruction Moore would have become familiar with the creation of carved and gilded mirrors and with the moulding and working of japan and gesso. He was later worked in partnership with Gumley and supplied gilt-gesso tables and stands to Hampton Court while other closely related pieces attributed to Moore were supplied to Boughton and Blenheim (in 1716 he had been appointed by Sarah Duchess of Marlborough comptroller of the building of Blenheim Palace, albeit in unusual circumstances) (C.Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, 1986, pp.618-619).
Another closely related chandelier was almost certainly supplied to Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth for Longleat House, Wiltshire by Benjamin Goodison (d.1767). It featured almost identical foliate-wrapped branches, lotus-bud clasps and drip pans and was listed in the 1740 inventory at Longleat, though it must have been supplied after 1719 as an inventory taken in that year listed 'A Large Glass Chandeleer'. Goodison was almost certainly apprenticed to James Moore around 1719 but had set up his own business by 1725 and in 1726-27 succeeded Moore in royal service (Gilbert, p.cit., pp.351-354).
The same combination of strapwork, foliage and shells features on gilt- gesso tables such as the matched pair attributed to James Moore sold Sotheby's, New York, 18 -19 April 2002, lot 700. Another was sold Sotheby's, New York, 26 October 2002, lot 1795. The latter was possibly supplied to Sir John Trevor for Brynkinalt, Chirk, Wales, by the London craftsman John Belchier who would have been adept in creating carved and gilt gesso work. Belchier was employed at nearby Erddig and it was probably he who supplied Erddig's carved and gilt-gesso state bed in 1720 (Gilbert, op.cit., pp.59-60.
This chandelier is most likely to have been acquired during the lifetime of the bibliophile 2nd Earl of Oxford (d.1741) whose principle seat was at Wimpole Park in Cambridgeshire and where he built his immense collection of manuscripts, paintings, miniatures, objects of virtu and curios. His manuscripts form one of the founding collections of the British Museum. His widow did retire to Welbeck Abbey after 1741. Their daughter had married the 2nd Duke of Portland in 1734 and lived mainly at Bulstrode in Buckinghamshire, another possible original source for this chandelier.