A GEORGE II GILTWOOD PIER TABLE

With its shell cartouche and winged-truss pilasters, the table relates to French patterns of 'Marble Tables' published in B. Langley's City and Country Builder's and Workman's Treasury of Designs, 1740. Its 'Water' elements of Neptune heads and dolphins relate to the ornament of the Victoria & Albert Museum's 1740's pier-set executed for Hinton House, Dorset by the carver Matthias Lock (d. 1765)( J.F. Hayward, 'Furniture designed and carved by Matthias Lock for Hinton House, Somerset', Connoisseur, December 1960, pp. 282-286). A related table, with Langley-style winged pilasters on winged dolphins, was sold Christie's, London, 27 February 1969 (lot 92). In turn, the latter related to four tables, with eagle-capped pilasters terminating in dolphins, which are thought to have been commissioned for Stanwick, Yorkshire by Sir Hugh Smithson, 4th Bart. (d. 1786) (A. Oswald, 'Albury Park, Surrey', Country Life, 1 September 1950, p. 677, fig. 10).