Lot Essay
The present lot relates to the designs of the London manufacturers Messrs. Parker and Perry. Founded by William Parker (d.1784) in Fleet Street, the business enjoyed the patronage of King and Court, ranging from George, Prince of Wales to William Beckford. After William Parker's death the firm continued under his son Samuel, who in 1803 formed a partnership with William Perry. The firm supplied chandeliers for Carlton House from 1808, those in the Crimson Drawing Room perhaps the ultimate expression of the Regency chandelier described above, and later for the Royal Pavilion at Brighton. While the present lot conforms to conventional designs of the late 18th century, the distinctive S-shaped arms are particularly associated with the oeuvre of Perry, being a characteristic of his earlier neoclassical chandeliers.