CIRCA 1770, POSSIBLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE

Details

A GEORGE III MAHOGANY KEY AND COLLECTOR'S CABINET
CIRCA 1770, POSSIBLY BY THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
With a broken pediment and panelled door with corner roundels enclosing sixty short drawers and a pair of later glazed doors enclosing burgundy velvet-lined hook panels with conforming secret panels behind, with a printed paper label 'R. Holland-Martin, Esq., C.B.', partially re-fitted
37 ½ in. (95 cm.) high; 24 ¾ in. (63 cm.) wide; 6 ¼ in. (16 cm.) deep

Provenance

Possibly commissioned by John Martin (1724 - 1794) from Thomas Chippendale, either on 5th September 1773, or 9th May 1775;
and by descent to Robert Holland-Martin, Overbury Court, Gloustershire;
Sold The Overbury Museum, Sotheby's house sale, 30 May 1996, lot 774.
West-East: The Niall Hobhouse Collection: Christie's, London, 22 May 2008, lot 2.

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Brought to you by

Carys Bingham

cbingham@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2350

Lot Essay

It is recorded that John Martin (d. 1794), the son of John Martin of Overbury Court, Worcester commissioned furniture from Thomas Chippendale between 1770-76 and ledgers in the Martin family papers now deposited in the Worcester County Records Office list various payments from John Martin to Chippendale. The first of these is dated the 5th September 1773 'to Chippindale [sic] £89. 11s' (Archive: 140/349 folio-393), the second dated 9th May 1775 'to Chippindale [sic] & Co. £ 44. 00s' (Archive: 140/111 folio-402). It is possible that one of these accounts includes payment for the present cabinet and together they indicate a larger commission. Unfortunately, no bills from Chippendale appear to survive in the Martin family papers.

A library table commissioned by John Martin (d. 1794) from Thomas Chippendale was sold by Eliot Bromley-Martin, Christie's London 27 March, 1924 lot 81. The table was later sold, Christie's London, 19 June 1980, lot 140, and later sold from the HSBC Corporate Art Collection, Sotheby's New York, 21 October 2004, lot 34.

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