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Lot Essay
This Vizagapatam kneehole dressing-bureau is part of a select group that includes related examples formerly in the collections of such renowned East India Company (EIC) men as Robert Clive, ‘Clive of India’ (1724-74), Commander-in-Chief of British India, and Warren Hastings (1732-1818), the first de facto Governor-General of India. It was executed in circa 1740-50, and is made of Indian rosewood, inlaid with ivory marquetry that has been intricately engraved in a painterly fashion with a resin or ‘lac’ to represent exotic foliage and flowers, undoubtedly inspired by fashionable Indian chintz textiles. This technique is named after the East-Indian port of Vizagapatam, on the Coromandel Coast, from where the craft originates. In the 19th century, the dressing-bureau was almost certainly in the collection of John Sheepshanks (1787-1863), a notable art collector and patron of British artists, who included J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) and John Constable (1776-1837). Sheepshanks was the founder of a national art collection at the South Kensington Museum, now the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and as a enthusiastic philanthropist, believed in the benefits of self-improvement through art, and the accessibility of art to all strata of society.
JOHN SHEEPSHANKS (1786-1863)
In 1857, John Sheepshanks generously gave his large private collection of contemporary British oil paintings, drawings and sketches to the nation; these included works by Turner, Constable, David Wilkie, Edwin Landseer, and his favourite artist, William Mulready. Sheepshanks, the wealthy son of a Leeds textile industrialist, was one of the first of the emerging Victorian middle class to present their art collection to the nation, a bequest, which, unusually, occurred during his lifetime. From 20 June 1857, his art collection was housed in dedicated galleries at the new ‘Museum of Science and Art’, South Kensington. His philanthropic ideals endorsed the view that art had the potential to benefit the less privileged classes, and a number of caveats with respect to this principal were attached to the legacy (1). The public collection was to be a scholastic source for future generations of artists, and Sunday afternoon and weekday evening openings were introduced specifically to enable working men and women the opportunity to view the collection.
This dressing-bureau, together with Sheepshanks’ art and book collections, was almost certainly housed in one of his London properties; these included Park Cottage, Blackheath, and from 1841 until his death, Park House, 24 Rutland Gate, London. All the principal rooms of the latter, a brick-faced detached house, which he had commissioned, were on the ground floor, and comprised an entrance hall, drawing room, dining room and breakfast room, and a separate single storey wing to the south for an integral picture gallery in which the art collection was displayed. Sheepshanks had a close bond with contemporary artists, and entertained them at both properties; Landseer described evenings at Sheepshanks’ home as consisting of ‘fine works of art – agreeable conversation – eating, drinking and laughter’ (2).
THE DATING AND EVOLUTION OF THE PATTERN
Vizagapatam furniture was enthusiastically collected by the ‘nabobs’, conspicuously wealthy Europeans and employees of the EIC like Sir Edward Harrison (d. 1732) of Balls Park, Hertfordshire, Governor of Fort St. George (Madras) from 1711-17, who made their fortune on the Indian subcontinent (see Christie’s, London, 7 July 2011, lots 14-17 for related Vizagapatam furniture from Raynham Hall, Norfolk, consigned by Harrison's descendants, including a closely related dressing-bureau almost certainly from the collection of Harrison's daughter, Audrey, Lady Townshend, d. 1788). Inventories for British settlers from the second half of the eighteenth century regularly list ivory and ivory-inlaid articles, often small items such as table bureaux and dressing-cases. The earliest known dressing-bureau was acquired by Richard Benyon, Governor of Fort St. George from 1734-44, now at Englefield House, Berkshire (3). It features a combination of rosewood with wide ebony borders, the dense ivory marquetry inlay of trailing small flowers confined to the borders, a characteristic identified by Amin Jaffer as indicating a date of manufacture in the first quarter of the 18th century (4).
Another dressing-bureau of slightly later manufacture, purchased by Robert Clive, is now in the collection of The National Trust at Powis Castle, Powys (5). Clive served a number of terms in India, first travelling to Madras in 1744 as a writer or clerk for the EIC, and then through distinguishing himself in military actions, serving in Bombay (1755-60) and Bengal (1765-67). The dressing-bureau, with a closely matching though not integral toilet-glass must have been in his collection during his first or second term of service since it is recorded that the feet were replaced in 1761 by the eminent London cabinet-maker, George Bradshaw. In common with other examples from this slightly later group, which include the present dressing-bureau, it is made of only one primary timber (the ebony borders no longer employed) and the marquetry is more painterly, featuring large leaves and oversized native flowers tied with ribbons at the corners, in addition to the dense small flowers of the ‘Benyon table’. While the superb ‘Clive table’ features a curved 'alcove' kneehole, other examples, like the present dressing-bureau, have a rectangular kneehole, with an unusual sliding compartment of pigeon-holes and drawers, implying a dual purpose.
A further closely related dressing-bureau was in the collection of Warren Hastings, a senior representative of the EIC at Fort St. George (1768-72) and Governor-General of Bengal (1773-85). Hastings received furniture as gifts from the Mani Begum of Murshidabad, and also gave some of his Anglo-Indian pieces to Queen Charlotte, consort to George IV, who had a passion for this type of furniture.
They are all characterised by their ivory decoration of large densely foliated friezes inlaid on teak, padouk, rosewood or ebony, timbers which were all readily available in Vizagapatam. The cabinet trade in this port was already well established at the end of the 17th century when local craft skills, using ivory, were married to western furniture forms. There was also a flourishing textile trade; it was a centre for the production of the colourful cloth known as ‘chints’ (chintz), which was in high demand in the west, and consequently the port was a regular destination for EIC ships, although the transportation of furniture fell under the remit of private, rather than EIC, trade, which explains why it isn’t listed in EIC records. The trade in textiles was the very reason for much European settlement in the region with an English textile factory established in the port in 1668, while the Dutch trading post at Bimlipatam had been founded as early as 1628. An inventory of 1641 shows that ‘chints’ was being used to decorate whole rooms back in Britain; ‘a suite of hangings Consisting of Foure pieces of Indian Pantadoes & Curtaynes of the same suite for the same Roome, And a Canopy of the same suite with a valence thereunto. Pantadoe Carpetts for the same Roome’ (6). The quality of the work was noted by Major John Corneille in Vizagapatam in 1756, who wrote that the chintz 'is esteemed the best in India for the brightness of its colours' and 'the place is likewise remarkable for its inlay work, and justly, for they do it to the greatest perfection' (7). Thus, the delicate and elaborate inlay of this dressing-bureau represents the exotic indigenous flowers and foliage borders that often surround a central panel depicting a flowering tree motif found in chintz textiles, so beloved by Europeans. Furthermore, the small plant-like tendrils that form a ground for the large friezes are also characteristic of chintz fabrics.
RELATED TABLES
Other closely related dressing-bureaux, which feature a sliding compartment to the kneehole and the same arrangement of drawers and pigeon-holes as the present example include:
One sold Sotheby's, New York, Property from the Collection of Lily and Edmond J. Safra, 3 November 2005, lot 144 ($828,000 including premium). Executed in padouk rather than rosewood, it features closely related marquetry with large indigenous flowers. It was acquired from Mallet & Son in 2002 (8).
Another made in rosewood and again with very similar marquetry, almost certainly in the collection of Audrey, Lady Townshend (d. 1788) (daughter and heiress of Sir Edward Harrison of Balls Park, Hertfordshire) sold 'The Exceptional Sale’, Christie’s, London, 7 July 2011, lot 15 (£289,250 including premium), where it was offered alongside a series of related Vizagapatam furniture thought to have been collected by Sir Edward Harrison and which had descended through the Townshend family, Raynham Park, Norfolk (lots 14-17).
Another, given by Warren Hastings to his goddaughter Amelia Maria Alt on her marriage to George Elwes of Marcham Park, Berkshire, in 1789, was exhibited by Lennox Money Antiques, London, at the Grosvenor House Antique Dealers Fair, 1977.
A further dressing-bureau, with virtually identical marquetry, was sold, Sotheby's, London, 'The Property of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Cotton’, 14 November 1975, lot 68.
(1) Ed. A. Kidd, D. Nicholls, Gender, Civic culture and Consumerism: Middle-class identity in Britain 1800-1940, Manchester, 1999, p. 72
(2) Ibid., p. 73
(3) A. Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, p. 187, fig. 85.
(4) Ibid., p. 182
(5) Ibid., p. 172, fig. 73
(6) J. Irwin, K.B. Brett, Origins of Chintz, London, 1970, p. 25.
(7) Ed. Michael Edwardes, Major J. Corneille, Journal of my Service in India, London, 1966, pp. 100-101.
(8) Illustrated in L. Synge, Mallet’s Great English Furniture, 1991, p. 184, fig. 210
JOHN SHEEPSHANKS (1786-1863)
In 1857, John Sheepshanks generously gave his large private collection of contemporary British oil paintings, drawings and sketches to the nation; these included works by Turner, Constable, David Wilkie, Edwin Landseer, and his favourite artist, William Mulready. Sheepshanks, the wealthy son of a Leeds textile industrialist, was one of the first of the emerging Victorian middle class to present their art collection to the nation, a bequest, which, unusually, occurred during his lifetime. From 20 June 1857, his art collection was housed in dedicated galleries at the new ‘Museum of Science and Art’, South Kensington. His philanthropic ideals endorsed the view that art had the potential to benefit the less privileged classes, and a number of caveats with respect to this principal were attached to the legacy (1). The public collection was to be a scholastic source for future generations of artists, and Sunday afternoon and weekday evening openings were introduced specifically to enable working men and women the opportunity to view the collection.
This dressing-bureau, together with Sheepshanks’ art and book collections, was almost certainly housed in one of his London properties; these included Park Cottage, Blackheath, and from 1841 until his death, Park House, 24 Rutland Gate, London. All the principal rooms of the latter, a brick-faced detached house, which he had commissioned, were on the ground floor, and comprised an entrance hall, drawing room, dining room and breakfast room, and a separate single storey wing to the south for an integral picture gallery in which the art collection was displayed. Sheepshanks had a close bond with contemporary artists, and entertained them at both properties; Landseer described evenings at Sheepshanks’ home as consisting of ‘fine works of art – agreeable conversation – eating, drinking and laughter’ (2).
THE DATING AND EVOLUTION OF THE PATTERN
Vizagapatam furniture was enthusiastically collected by the ‘nabobs’, conspicuously wealthy Europeans and employees of the EIC like Sir Edward Harrison (d. 1732) of Balls Park, Hertfordshire, Governor of Fort St. George (Madras) from 1711-17, who made their fortune on the Indian subcontinent (see Christie’s, London, 7 July 2011, lots 14-17 for related Vizagapatam furniture from Raynham Hall, Norfolk, consigned by Harrison's descendants, including a closely related dressing-bureau almost certainly from the collection of Harrison's daughter, Audrey, Lady Townshend, d. 1788). Inventories for British settlers from the second half of the eighteenth century regularly list ivory and ivory-inlaid articles, often small items such as table bureaux and dressing-cases. The earliest known dressing-bureau was acquired by Richard Benyon, Governor of Fort St. George from 1734-44, now at Englefield House, Berkshire (3). It features a combination of rosewood with wide ebony borders, the dense ivory marquetry inlay of trailing small flowers confined to the borders, a characteristic identified by Amin Jaffer as indicating a date of manufacture in the first quarter of the 18th century (4).
Another dressing-bureau of slightly later manufacture, purchased by Robert Clive, is now in the collection of The National Trust at Powis Castle, Powys (5). Clive served a number of terms in India, first travelling to Madras in 1744 as a writer or clerk for the EIC, and then through distinguishing himself in military actions, serving in Bombay (1755-60) and Bengal (1765-67). The dressing-bureau, with a closely matching though not integral toilet-glass must have been in his collection during his first or second term of service since it is recorded that the feet were replaced in 1761 by the eminent London cabinet-maker, George Bradshaw. In common with other examples from this slightly later group, which include the present dressing-bureau, it is made of only one primary timber (the ebony borders no longer employed) and the marquetry is more painterly, featuring large leaves and oversized native flowers tied with ribbons at the corners, in addition to the dense small flowers of the ‘Benyon table’. While the superb ‘Clive table’ features a curved 'alcove' kneehole, other examples, like the present dressing-bureau, have a rectangular kneehole, with an unusual sliding compartment of pigeon-holes and drawers, implying a dual purpose.
A further closely related dressing-bureau was in the collection of Warren Hastings, a senior representative of the EIC at Fort St. George (1768-72) and Governor-General of Bengal (1773-85). Hastings received furniture as gifts from the Mani Begum of Murshidabad, and also gave some of his Anglo-Indian pieces to Queen Charlotte, consort to George IV, who had a passion for this type of furniture.
They are all characterised by their ivory decoration of large densely foliated friezes inlaid on teak, padouk, rosewood or ebony, timbers which were all readily available in Vizagapatam. The cabinet trade in this port was already well established at the end of the 17th century when local craft skills, using ivory, were married to western furniture forms. There was also a flourishing textile trade; it was a centre for the production of the colourful cloth known as ‘chints’ (chintz), which was in high demand in the west, and consequently the port was a regular destination for EIC ships, although the transportation of furniture fell under the remit of private, rather than EIC, trade, which explains why it isn’t listed in EIC records. The trade in textiles was the very reason for much European settlement in the region with an English textile factory established in the port in 1668, while the Dutch trading post at Bimlipatam had been founded as early as 1628. An inventory of 1641 shows that ‘chints’ was being used to decorate whole rooms back in Britain; ‘a suite of hangings Consisting of Foure pieces of Indian Pantadoes & Curtaynes of the same suite for the same Roome, And a Canopy of the same suite with a valence thereunto. Pantadoe Carpetts for the same Roome’ (6). The quality of the work was noted by Major John Corneille in Vizagapatam in 1756, who wrote that the chintz 'is esteemed the best in India for the brightness of its colours' and 'the place is likewise remarkable for its inlay work, and justly, for they do it to the greatest perfection' (7). Thus, the delicate and elaborate inlay of this dressing-bureau represents the exotic indigenous flowers and foliage borders that often surround a central panel depicting a flowering tree motif found in chintz textiles, so beloved by Europeans. Furthermore, the small plant-like tendrils that form a ground for the large friezes are also characteristic of chintz fabrics.
RELATED TABLES
Other closely related dressing-bureaux, which feature a sliding compartment to the kneehole and the same arrangement of drawers and pigeon-holes as the present example include:
One sold Sotheby's, New York, Property from the Collection of Lily and Edmond J. Safra, 3 November 2005, lot 144 ($828,000 including premium). Executed in padouk rather than rosewood, it features closely related marquetry with large indigenous flowers. It was acquired from Mallet & Son in 2002 (8).
Another made in rosewood and again with very similar marquetry, almost certainly in the collection of Audrey, Lady Townshend (d. 1788) (daughter and heiress of Sir Edward Harrison of Balls Park, Hertfordshire) sold 'The Exceptional Sale’, Christie’s, London, 7 July 2011, lot 15 (£289,250 including premium), where it was offered alongside a series of related Vizagapatam furniture thought to have been collected by Sir Edward Harrison and which had descended through the Townshend family, Raynham Park, Norfolk (lots 14-17).
Another, given by Warren Hastings to his goddaughter Amelia Maria Alt on her marriage to George Elwes of Marcham Park, Berkshire, in 1789, was exhibited by Lennox Money Antiques, London, at the Grosvenor House Antique Dealers Fair, 1977.
A further dressing-bureau, with virtually identical marquetry, was sold, Sotheby's, London, 'The Property of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Cotton’, 14 November 1975, lot 68.
(1) Ed. A. Kidd, D. Nicholls, Gender, Civic culture and Consumerism: Middle-class identity in Britain 1800-1940, Manchester, 1999, p. 72
(2) Ibid., p. 73
(3) A. Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, p. 187, fig. 85.
(4) Ibid., p. 182
(5) Ibid., p. 172, fig. 73
(6) J. Irwin, K.B. Brett, Origins of Chintz, London, 1970, p. 25.
(7) Ed. Michael Edwardes, Major J. Corneille, Journal of my Service in India, London, 1966, pp. 100-101.
(8) Illustrated in L. Synge, Mallet’s Great English Furniture, 1991, p. 184, fig. 210