CIRCA 1775

A number of stylistic features suggest this pair of marquetry tables as possibly by William Moore (d. 1814), the pre-eminent cabinet-maker and supplier of ‘Inlaid Work’ in Dublin in the latter part of the 18th century. These include the naturalistic marquetry sprays of flowers and foliage on the table-tops, which are closely related to that found on one of only two firmly identifiable pieces of Moore furniture, a demi-lune commode, circa 1782, made for William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (d. 1809) when Viceroy of Ireland (R. Luddy, ‘Every Article in the Inlaid Way: the Furniture of William Moore’, Irish Arts Review, 2002, vol. 18, p. 44, fig. 1). Similar sprays of flowers are also found on other furniture attributed to Moore including a commode in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (W.56:1 to 3-1925), a pair of commodes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (61.189.1, 2), and a pair of pier tables in the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, New York (ibid., figs. 6, 11) . Another characteristic of Moore's marquetry work is the use of an inlaid fluted triglyph possibly to emulate gilt metal mounts, and of note is the ebony stringing, a practice undoubtedly learnt when Moore was a pupil in the London workshop of Mayhew & Ince (ibid., fig. 7). A pier table attributed to Moore at the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin features the triglyph pattern, and also a related freely designed sunflower patera on the table top.

See also lots 600, 659 and 679.