BY WILLIAMS AND GIBTON, CIRCA 1830

Details

A MASSIVE IRISH WILLIAM IV MAHOGANY BREAKFRONT LIBRARY BOOKCASE
BY WILLIAMS AND GIBTON, CIRCA 1830
Stamped WILLIAMS & GIBTON 32143 to the lower side of the left section
19 ft ¼ in. (3.25 m.) high, 18 ft. 4 in. (5.58 m.) long, 16½ in. (42 cm.) deep

Provenance

Commissioned by James Gibbons (d. 1846), Ballynegall Manor, Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland.
Thence by descent at Ballynegall to his nephew by marriage, J.W.M. Berry, Esq. (d.1855).
Thence by descent at Ballynegall to his cousin, T.J. Smyth, Esq.
Thence by descent in the Smyth family who sold Ballynegall in 1963.
Acquired from Jean-Claude Ciancimino, London.
Country House Elegance; Christie's, New York, 21 November 2011, lot 1021.

Literature

The Knight of Glin et al., Vanishing Country Houses of Ireland, Antrim, 1988, p.142 (illustrated in situ in the Library visible from the Drawing Room in 1961).
R. MacDonnell, The Lost Houses of Ireland, Dublin, 2002, p. 13.

Special notice

Please note lots marked with a square will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) on the last day of the sale. Lots are not available for collection at Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services until after the third business day following the sale. All lots will be stored free of charge for 30 days from the auction date at Christie’s Rockefeller Center or Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn). Operation hours for collection from either location are from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday-Friday. After 30 days from the auction date property may be moved at Christie’s discretion. Please contact Post-Sale Services to confirm the location of your property prior to collection. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn). Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information.

Sale room notice

This Lot is Withdrawn.

Please note the correct measurements should read: 10 ft 8 ¼ in. (3.25 m.) high; 19 ft 2 ¼ in. (5.85 m.) wide; 16 ½ in. (42 cm.) deep.

Lot Essay

This large Irish library bookcase was part of a commission by James Gibbons (d.1846), for the library of his Regency villa, Ballynegall, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, supplied by the Dublin cabinet-makers Williams and Gibton. Active from 1830 to 1844, the William and Gibton firm evolved from the successful partnership of Mack, Williams and Gibton formed in 1811-1812 and flourished under this name until the death of John Mack in 1829. The firm is recognized for the superb timbers employed and their high quality of workmanship which is often compared to Gillows of Lancaster and London. As with this bookcase, much of the furniture they produced was inspired by the designs published by Thomas Hope and George Smith.

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