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Lot Essay
Th George III satinwood and marquetry serpentine commode is attributed on stylistic grounds to the Golden Square partnership of John Mayhew (d. 1811) and William Ince (d. 1804), leading marqueteurs in the neo-classical taste. The firm ranked George III, the 6th Earl of Coventry, and the Earl of Kerry among their roll of distinguished clients.
The commode, executed in the fashionable 'French Taste' promoted by Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779) relates to designs for 'French Commode Tables' in the 3rd edition of his Director (1762), and a similar shaped commode was supplied to the Hoare family at Stourhead, Wiltshire, possibly by Chippendale the Younger (NT inventory 731613). Other cabinet-makers adopted Parisian-style serpentine tops and bombé forms including John Cobb (d. 1778) as seen on a commode supplied to Paul Methuen for Corsham Court in 1772 (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, p. 91).
Foreign craftsmen established in London were inspirational in introducing French practices into 18th century English furniture, in particular Pierre Langlois (fl. 1759-91), synonymous with 'French' commodes habitually with door fronts concealing drawers, floral marquetry ornamentation and gilt-bronze mounts. In the Universal Director (1763), Thomas Mortimer noted that Langlois produced 'commodes in the foreign taste'. The present example is similar to commodes attributed to Langlois, possibly representing his later oeuvre with less ornate marquetry and mounts, including a pair of commodes from the Earl of Craven's collection, and a single commode from Holland House, subsequently at Melbury Park (P. Thornton, W. Rieder, 'Pierre Langlois, Ébéniste', Connoisseur, Part 4, April 1972, p. 261, fig. 10, and Part 3, March 1972, p. 182, fig. 14). While this comparable furniture displays related inlaid ribbon-tied floral sprays in panels surrounded by crossbanded borders, and very similar scroll-cast gilt-bronze sabot mounts, the latter found on Woburn Abbey and Croome Court examples, commodes attributed to Langlois with few exceptions have a clear division between door fronts and shaped apron, unlike the present example where this is integrated. Furthermore, the doors of the present commode are hinged on the side faces and not on the front of the commode so that each door moves as one piece with the corner.
The proficiency and variety of Mayhew and Ince's marquetry technique infers that the firm employed marquetry specialists or were able to call upon a number of skilled journeymen. The fluid and naturalistic floral marquetry ornamentation on the present commode was possibly taken from a French pattern book such as le Livre de Principes de Fleurs by Louis Tessier or Giles Demarteau's Plusieurs Trophées Dessinées et Gravées par Demarteau l'ainé, both published in the 1750s. Characteristics of the firm's work that appear on this commode is the 'extensive use of fine engraving heightened with a black... mastic to increase the pictorial illusion' of the colour-stained marquetry (H. Roberts, 'The Derby House Commode', Burlington Magazine, May 1985, pp. 275-83).
Mayhew and Ince are renowned for their use of superb ormolu mounts, and although it is not possible to definitively attribute the mounts to a particular bronzier, there is a group of attributed furniture that share the distinctive scallop shell and pendant husk angle-mounts of this commode. Their number include an important marquetry commode formerly in the collection of Prince-Littler at Chestham Park, Sussex (Christie's London, 18-19 April 1977, lot 182), a marquetry commode (Sotheby's London, 7 July 1995, lot 67), a secrétaire cabinet (Sotheby's New York, 9 April 2009, lot 77), and the decoration also appears as carving on a pair of mahogany pedestals with urns (Christie's London, 21 November 1985, lot 136).
Yet another related commode formerly in the collection of the Dukes of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire was sold, Christie's London, 5 July 1990, lot 128. While this commode has traditionally been thought to be by Cobb, recent scholarship has re-attributed it to Mayhew and Ince.
The commode, executed in the fashionable 'French Taste' promoted by Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779) relates to designs for 'French Commode Tables' in the 3rd edition of his Director (1762), and a similar shaped commode was supplied to the Hoare family at Stourhead, Wiltshire, possibly by Chippendale the Younger (NT inventory 731613). Other cabinet-makers adopted Parisian-style serpentine tops and bombé forms including John Cobb (d. 1778) as seen on a commode supplied to Paul Methuen for Corsham Court in 1772 (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, p. 91).
Foreign craftsmen established in London were inspirational in introducing French practices into 18th century English furniture, in particular Pierre Langlois (fl. 1759-91), synonymous with 'French' commodes habitually with door fronts concealing drawers, floral marquetry ornamentation and gilt-bronze mounts. In the Universal Director (1763), Thomas Mortimer noted that Langlois produced 'commodes in the foreign taste'. The present example is similar to commodes attributed to Langlois, possibly representing his later oeuvre with less ornate marquetry and mounts, including a pair of commodes from the Earl of Craven's collection, and a single commode from Holland House, subsequently at Melbury Park (P. Thornton, W. Rieder, 'Pierre Langlois, Ébéniste', Connoisseur, Part 4, April 1972, p. 261, fig. 10, and Part 3, March 1972, p. 182, fig. 14). While this comparable furniture displays related inlaid ribbon-tied floral sprays in panels surrounded by crossbanded borders, and very similar scroll-cast gilt-bronze sabot mounts, the latter found on Woburn Abbey and Croome Court examples, commodes attributed to Langlois with few exceptions have a clear division between door fronts and shaped apron, unlike the present example where this is integrated. Furthermore, the doors of the present commode are hinged on the side faces and not on the front of the commode so that each door moves as one piece with the corner.
The proficiency and variety of Mayhew and Ince's marquetry technique infers that the firm employed marquetry specialists or were able to call upon a number of skilled journeymen. The fluid and naturalistic floral marquetry ornamentation on the present commode was possibly taken from a French pattern book such as le Livre de Principes de Fleurs by Louis Tessier or Giles Demarteau's Plusieurs Trophées Dessinées et Gravées par Demarteau l'ainé, both published in the 1750s. Characteristics of the firm's work that appear on this commode is the 'extensive use of fine engraving heightened with a black... mastic to increase the pictorial illusion' of the colour-stained marquetry (H. Roberts, 'The Derby House Commode', Burlington Magazine, May 1985, pp. 275-83).
Mayhew and Ince are renowned for their use of superb ormolu mounts, and although it is not possible to definitively attribute the mounts to a particular bronzier, there is a group of attributed furniture that share the distinctive scallop shell and pendant husk angle-mounts of this commode. Their number include an important marquetry commode formerly in the collection of Prince-Littler at Chestham Park, Sussex (Christie's London, 18-19 April 1977, lot 182), a marquetry commode (Sotheby's London, 7 July 1995, lot 67), a secrétaire cabinet (Sotheby's New York, 9 April 2009, lot 77), and the decoration also appears as carving on a pair of mahogany pedestals with urns (Christie's London, 21 November 1985, lot 136).
Yet another related commode formerly in the collection of the Dukes of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire was sold, Christie's London, 5 July 1990, lot 128. While this commode has traditionally been thought to be by Cobb, recent scholarship has re-attributed it to Mayhew and Ince.