CIRCA 1745-50

THIS HANDSOME BUREAU-DRESSING CABINET, WITH PILASTERS, DENTIL CORINTHIAN CORNICE, AND PEDIMENT HOLLOWED FOR A BUST OR ESCUTCHEON, IS DESIGNED IN THE GEORGE II ROMAN MANNER, WHOSE ARCHITECTURE DERIVES IN PART FROM ISAAC WARE'S TRANSLATION OF PALLADIO'S FOUR BOOKS OF ARCHITECTURE, 1738. IT RELATES TO THE POWDERHAM CASTLE BOOKCASES, DATED 1740 AND BEARING THE SIGNATURE OF JOHN CHANNON. IT ALSO RELATES TO THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM'S 'CHANNON' CABINET, WHICH APPEARS TO BE THE MEDAL-CABINET FEATURED IN THE ADVERTISEMENT PRINT ALONGSIDE INGENIOUS HARLEQUIN FURNITURE PATTERNS ISSUED BY THOMAS POTTER IN THE LATE 1730S (SEE C. GILBERT AND T. MURDOCH, JOHN CHANNON AND BRASS-INLAID FURNITURE, LONDON, 1993, FIGS. 4, 113 AND 11). ITS BUREAU-DRESSING-TABLE DRAWER IS SUPPORTED BY QUARTER-COLUMN LEGS, AND THESE ARE SUNK IN THE ANGLES OF THE CHEST-OF-DRAWERS IN THE MANNER OF THE COUNTESS OF LEICESTER'S DRESSING-TABLE SUPPLIED FOR HOLKHAM HALL, NORFOLK AND NOTED IN A LETTER OF 1738 BY THE ARCHITECT MATTHEW BRETTINGHAM (D. 1769) (SEE C. HISKEY, 'THE BUILDING OF HOLKHAM HALL', ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, 1977, P. 153). THE TRADE LABEL OF THE CELEBRATED ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD FIRM TRADING AT 'THE WHITE SWAN' AND ADMINISTERED FROM 1740 BY ELIZABETH BELL (D. C. 1758) APPEARS ON A CHEST-OF-DRAWERS BEARING THE SAME PATTERN OF FRETTED BRASS ESCUTCHEONS (C. GILBERT, PICTORIAL DICTIONARY OF MARKED LONDON FURNITURE 1700-1840, LEEDS, 1996, P. 90, FIG. 77).

AN IRISH SECRETAIRE-CABINET FROM LEIXLIP CASTLE, CO. KILDARE, WITH THE SAME PATTERN OF ESCUTCHEON AND HANDLE, WAS SOLD BY THE HON. DESMOND GUINNESS, SOTHEBY'S LONDON, 22 MAY 1997, LOT 14.