CIRCA 1750, IN THE MANNER OF JOHN VARDY

The oval form and use of carved ornamentation of foliage, rocaille and bulrushes can be related to furniture designs in the emerging Rococo and theatrical style of the Palladian architect, John Vardy (d. 1765), celebrated for a magnificent suite of seat-furniture supplied to John Spencer, later 1st Earl Spencer (d. 1783) for the Palm Room at Spencer House, London, probably executed by the designer’s brother, Thomas Vardy (d. 1788), a carver of some repute. A pair of window seats from this suite with similar exuberant foliate carving sold 'The Spencer House Sale’, Christie’s, King Street, 8 July 2010, lot 1020. The design for this mirror also anticipates pier glasses with palm-wrapped pilasters designed by Vardy in 1761 for the Drawing Room at Hackwood Park, Hampshire for Charles Powlett, 5th Duke of Bolton (d. 1765); Vardy’s original drawings are in the RIBA collection (R. Haslam, 'Hackwood Park, Hampshire – II’, Country Life, 17 December 1987, p. 58, figs. 5 and 6). A related George II giltwood pier glass with carved bulrushes is in a private Irish collection, and two comparable girandole mirrors but of the later mid-1760s are in the collection of the Victoria & Albert museum; one is attributed to Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779) (2388-1855 and 2387-1855).