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Lot Essay
This handsome pair of George II mahogany side tables formerly in the collection of the Earls of Macclesfield at Shirburn Castle, with truss-scrolled pilasters terminating in bacchic leopard paw feet reflect the 'Roman' fashion popularized by William Jones who published his designs in The Gentleman or Builder's Companion, 1739. They would have formed part of the furnishings introduced to Shirburn
Castle, Oxfordshire, either by Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield (1667-1732), or his son, George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield (c. 1695 or 97-1764), following his inheritance in 1732. They may have been commissioned to display the alabaster veneered table tops that the 2nd Earl almost certainly brought back with him from his celebrated Grand Tour undertaken in 1720-22. The slabs were later moved onto oak frames, probably commissioned for them around 1845 by Thomas, 6th Earl of Macclesfield and sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 4 June 2009, lot 141. The present tables have been returned to their original appearance, now once again supporting monumental specimen-slab tops.
Shirburn Castle, the name derives from scir burna, Old English for 'bright spring', is a feudal castellated castle of circa 1377 encircled by a wide moat with two drawbridges and surrounded by parkland. It has been the country seat of the second creation of the Earls of Macclesfield since 1721, all of whom, except the 5th Earl, have lived continuously at Shirburn until late 2004. The castle was acquired in 1716 by Thomas Parker a wealthy Staffordshire lawyer by profession, ennobled by George I in 1715, appointed Lord Chancellor in 1718 and made 1st Earl of Macclesfield in 1721. The 1st Earl required a country seat which would give an impression of medieval ancestry as a foil to his more modest antecedents. Described as 'a real Maecenas' he significantly modernized the castle in a neo-Gothic style, possibly the first of its kind and predating Clearwell Castle (1728), Inverary Castle (1745) and Strawberry Hill (1753) to create a Georgian castle of red brick (only one quarter of the original medieval building was retained) that adhered to a fashion for castellated castles fostered by the architect, John Vanbrugh and the 'manly beauty' of buildings. The 1st Earl was succeeded by his son, George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield, renowned as an astronomer and mathematician who despite inheriting his father's substantial debts incurred in part by the significant rebuilding of Shirburn and by his political downfall was a great collector of paintings and sculptures; he may have been responsible for the foundation of the magnificent family collection. Although no household records for Shirburn Castle exist in the public domain, the Earls of Macclesfield were undoubtedly purchasing fine furniture and works of art in accordance with their respective social and political standing.
Castle, Oxfordshire, either by Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield (1667-1732), or his son, George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield (c. 1695 or 97-1764), following his inheritance in 1732. They may have been commissioned to display the alabaster veneered table tops that the 2nd Earl almost certainly brought back with him from his celebrated Grand Tour undertaken in 1720-22. The slabs were later moved onto oak frames, probably commissioned for them around 1845 by Thomas, 6th Earl of Macclesfield and sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 4 June 2009, lot 141. The present tables have been returned to their original appearance, now once again supporting monumental specimen-slab tops.
Shirburn Castle, the name derives from scir burna, Old English for 'bright spring', is a feudal castellated castle of circa 1377 encircled by a wide moat with two drawbridges and surrounded by parkland. It has been the country seat of the second creation of the Earls of Macclesfield since 1721, all of whom, except the 5th Earl, have lived continuously at Shirburn until late 2004. The castle was acquired in 1716 by Thomas Parker a wealthy Staffordshire lawyer by profession, ennobled by George I in 1715, appointed Lord Chancellor in 1718 and made 1st Earl of Macclesfield in 1721. The 1st Earl required a country seat which would give an impression of medieval ancestry as a foil to his more modest antecedents. Described as 'a real Maecenas' he significantly modernized the castle in a neo-Gothic style, possibly the first of its kind and predating Clearwell Castle (1728), Inverary Castle (1745) and Strawberry Hill (1753) to create a Georgian castle of red brick (only one quarter of the original medieval building was retained) that adhered to a fashion for castellated castles fostered by the architect, John Vanbrugh and the 'manly beauty' of buildings. The 1st Earl was succeeded by his son, George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield, renowned as an astronomer and mathematician who despite inheriting his father's substantial debts incurred in part by the significant rebuilding of Shirburn and by his political downfall was a great collector of paintings and sculptures; he may have been responsible for the foundation of the magnificent family collection. Although no household records for Shirburn Castle exist in the public domain, the Earls of Macclesfield were undoubtedly purchasing fine furniture and works of art in accordance with their respective social and political standing.