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Lot Essay
This sofa or marquise, with its Nemean lion-pelt of Hercules displayed as nailed drapery across its back, and the hero's head displayed in a spray of Roman acanthus on the seat-rail, is designed in the ‘French’ fashion of the 1770s. It is similar to a larger suite of seat-furniture, which comprised a giltwood sofa, 86 in. (218 cm.) wide, sold Christie’s, 27 November 2003, lot 59.
The pelt-drapery and Hercules mask feature on a related set of armchairs formerly at Bramshill, Hampshire, possibly introduced there by Sir Denzil Cope (d. 1812) (illustrated in situ in Country Life, 11 July 1903, p. 56; C. Hussey, Bramshill-IV, Country Life, 23 June 1923, pp. 886-887). A settee of the same pattern but with tapered front legs, from the collection of Michael Henry Blount (d. 1874) is at Mapledurham House, Oxfordshire (R. Williams, Mapledurham House, St. Ives, 1977, p. 10).
The distinctive arched back, with hollowed base-rail, corresponds to a form adopted by the Golden Square cabinet-makers, Mayhew & Ince; see the suite supplied in the 1780s for Chirk Castle, Wrexham (C. Hussey, 'Chirk Castle, Denbighshire, - IV', Country Life, 12 October 1951, p. 1149, fig. 4 and G. Beard & C. Gilbert (eds.), The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, p. 596). Mayhew & Ince notably incorporated idiosyncratic zoomorphic motifs to enhance their furniture. See: the ram’s head masks on a pair of urns supplied by the partnership for Lord Kerry’s Dining Room at Portman Square, now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight (C. Cator, ‘The Earl of Kerry and Mayhew and Ince…’, Furniture Hisory, 1990, figs. 3, 4); the carved giltwood dolphins, originally part of the cresting of one of the pier glasses in the Oval Drawing Room, part of the partnership's 1785 commission for James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon (H. Roberts, ‘Unequall’d Elegance…’, Furniture History, 2009, fig. 8); a pair of marquetry tripod stands, with ivory ram’s head capitals, attributed to Mayhew & Ince, sold Christie’s, London, 5 July 2012, lot 32.
The pelt-drapery and Hercules mask feature on a related set of armchairs formerly at Bramshill, Hampshire, possibly introduced there by Sir Denzil Cope (d. 1812) (illustrated in situ in Country Life, 11 July 1903, p. 56; C. Hussey, Bramshill-IV, Country Life, 23 June 1923, pp. 886-887). A settee of the same pattern but with tapered front legs, from the collection of Michael Henry Blount (d. 1874) is at Mapledurham House, Oxfordshire (R. Williams, Mapledurham House, St. Ives, 1977, p. 10).
The distinctive arched back, with hollowed base-rail, corresponds to a form adopted by the Golden Square cabinet-makers, Mayhew & Ince; see the suite supplied in the 1780s for Chirk Castle, Wrexham (C. Hussey, 'Chirk Castle, Denbighshire, - IV', Country Life, 12 October 1951, p. 1149, fig. 4 and G. Beard & C. Gilbert (eds.), The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Leeds, 1986, p. 596). Mayhew & Ince notably incorporated idiosyncratic zoomorphic motifs to enhance their furniture. See: the ram’s head masks on a pair of urns supplied by the partnership for Lord Kerry’s Dining Room at Portman Square, now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight (C. Cator, ‘The Earl of Kerry and Mayhew and Ince…’, Furniture Hisory, 1990, figs. 3, 4); the carved giltwood dolphins, originally part of the cresting of one of the pier glasses in the Oval Drawing Room, part of the partnership's 1785 commission for James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon (H. Roberts, ‘Unequall’d Elegance…’, Furniture History, 2009, fig. 8); a pair of marquetry tripod stands, with ivory ram’s head capitals, attributed to Mayhew & Ince, sold Christie’s, London, 5 July 2012, lot 32.