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拍品專文
England’s fascination with the exotic Far East resulted in a rapid influx of objects, particularly from China, in the 18th century. The trade in furniture, however, was less than plentiful as it was a difficult and unprofitable commodity to transport. As such, this settee is a fascinating addition to a relatively rare group of hardwood furniture inspired by English prototypes of the 1740s.
JAMES WEST OF ALCOT – A POSSIBLE PATRON?
A pair of side chairs en suite with the settee formed part of the impressive collection assembled by Esmond Bradley Martin, grandson to steel magnate Henry Phipps, for Knole House, Westbury, Long Island from around 1940. The chairs sold from the Estate of Esmond Bradley Martin, Sotheby’s, New York, 30 October 2002, lot 157 ($101, 575). Obviously a specific commission, the suite bears an armorial crest that was not identified in the Sotheby’s sale. While Chinese interpretation of English design can often be imprecise, it seems likely that the crest represents a griffin emerging from a ducal coronet, one associated with the West family of Alscot Park, in Warwickshire. James West (d. 1772), in fact, seems a likely candidate to commission the suite. He had the means and the interest to acquire fine objects. A prominent politician (ultimately secretary to the Treasury), he was also a highly recognized connoisseur and President of the Royal Society from 1768 until his death in 1772. The following year, an enormous 55 day auction of his collections took place at his Covent Garden house as conducted by Langford & Son.
James West rebuilt Alscot in consultation with Sanderson Miller, from the late 1740s through the 1760s, largely in the Gothic rococo style. After his retirement from politics in 1762, he built a wing to house his collections from Covent Garden. Throughout this time, he employed top London cabinet-makers including William Hallett, Thomas Chippendale, and William Linnell. John Cobb supplied the documented set of ormolu-mounted commodes in 1766 (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, p. 51, fig. 35). Interestingly, West also ordered a Chinese export service bearing his coat of arms in around 1760 (D. S. Howard, Chinese Armorial Porcelain, vol. II, 2002, p. 319, P16) which could easily correspond to the date of the suite although dating export furniture can be difficult. Models produced in faraway ports lagged behind the prototypes that inspired them. If indeed this suite was supplied to West, it is not known when it would have left the family collections. The 1773 sale, although expansive, does not appear to have included furnishings. While Alscot remains in the ownership of West's descendents, there are no recorded sales by the family that have come to light.
THE COMPLEXITIES OF EXPORT TRADE
Canton remained a center for the export of English designs, which were sent not only to Britain, but also to the British presidencies in India, a thriving market where Asian imports were considered fashionable and were less expensive than their European counterparts. Interestingly, the frame of the settee and its matching chairs relate to four side chairs featuring similar rope-twist details, X-frame and distinctive leg pattern, recently on the London market. These chairs were thought to be made by Chinese craftsmen in Goa, where English design was in fashion. The attribution largely rests with a comparison to pair of corner chairs in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods From India: the Art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker, London, 2002, pp. 78-79),. Other comparable examples appear in 1750s East India Company paintings from Bengal. The stretchers, in particular, do not appear to be a feature of Canton furniture made at this time. Thus, various possibilities exist regarding the source and makers of this fascinating suite. (For a full discussion of the China trade and India, see A. Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, pp. 89-95).
JAMES WEST OF ALCOT – A POSSIBLE PATRON?
A pair of side chairs en suite with the settee formed part of the impressive collection assembled by Esmond Bradley Martin, grandson to steel magnate Henry Phipps, for Knole House, Westbury, Long Island from around 1940. The chairs sold from the Estate of Esmond Bradley Martin, Sotheby’s, New York, 30 October 2002, lot 157 ($101, 575). Obviously a specific commission, the suite bears an armorial crest that was not identified in the Sotheby’s sale. While Chinese interpretation of English design can often be imprecise, it seems likely that the crest represents a griffin emerging from a ducal coronet, one associated with the West family of Alscot Park, in Warwickshire. James West (d. 1772), in fact, seems a likely candidate to commission the suite. He had the means and the interest to acquire fine objects. A prominent politician (ultimately secretary to the Treasury), he was also a highly recognized connoisseur and President of the Royal Society from 1768 until his death in 1772. The following year, an enormous 55 day auction of his collections took place at his Covent Garden house as conducted by Langford & Son.
James West rebuilt Alscot in consultation with Sanderson Miller, from the late 1740s through the 1760s, largely in the Gothic rococo style. After his retirement from politics in 1762, he built a wing to house his collections from Covent Garden. Throughout this time, he employed top London cabinet-makers including William Hallett, Thomas Chippendale, and William Linnell. John Cobb supplied the documented set of ormolu-mounted commodes in 1766 (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, p. 51, fig. 35). Interestingly, West also ordered a Chinese export service bearing his coat of arms in around 1760 (D. S. Howard, Chinese Armorial Porcelain, vol. II, 2002, p. 319, P16) which could easily correspond to the date of the suite although dating export furniture can be difficult. Models produced in faraway ports lagged behind the prototypes that inspired them. If indeed this suite was supplied to West, it is not known when it would have left the family collections. The 1773 sale, although expansive, does not appear to have included furnishings. While Alscot remains in the ownership of West's descendents, there are no recorded sales by the family that have come to light.
THE COMPLEXITIES OF EXPORT TRADE
Canton remained a center for the export of English designs, which were sent not only to Britain, but also to the British presidencies in India, a thriving market where Asian imports were considered fashionable and were less expensive than their European counterparts. Interestingly, the frame of the settee and its matching chairs relate to four side chairs featuring similar rope-twist details, X-frame and distinctive leg pattern, recently on the London market. These chairs were thought to be made by Chinese craftsmen in Goa, where English design was in fashion. The attribution largely rests with a comparison to pair of corner chairs in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods From India: the Art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker, London, 2002, pp. 78-79),. Other comparable examples appear in 1750s East India Company paintings from Bengal. The stretchers, in particular, do not appear to be a feature of Canton furniture made at this time. Thus, various possibilities exist regarding the source and makers of this fascinating suite. (For a full discussion of the China trade and India, see A. Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, pp. 89-95).